Los Angeles Lakers at San Antonio Spurs Betting Odds

Betting Odds

Point Spread: San Antonio Spurs (-3.5)
Game Total Line: (197)
(wagering lines available at 5Dimes)

San Antonio (26-4, 17-12-1 ATS) has been brilliant this season, but the team has struggled against the spread as of late. The Spurs beat Washington 94-80 on Monday, covering as 13.5-point favorites, but they are just 2-5 ATS in their past seven games.

Monday's meeting in Washington was a classic Spurs match up. San Antonio held the Wizards to just 37.5 percent shooting from the field. San Antonio hasn't been as good on defense as past years-they're allowing 98 points per game-but you wouldn't know it by watching the Washington game.

The offense, of course, is among the NBA's top five at 106 points per game. Tony Parker was the star of the show against Washington, racking up 20 points and 14 assists with just three turnovers. Parker's back-up, George Hill, scored 11 points off the bench in just 16 minutes of action. Manu Ginobili led all Spurs with 21 points; he was vicious from three-point land, going 5-7 from beyond the arc.

The Lakers (21-9, 14-16 ATS) have lost two straight games, failing to cover both. They were demolished by Miami on Saturday, losing 96-80 at home. Los Angeles has been incredibly streaky against the spread this season; it has three winning streaks of at least four games, and three losing streak of at least four games.

Los Angeles was at or near the top of the league and scoring for a good chunk of the season, but it has slowly slipped down the standings over the past few weeks. The Lakers have surpassed 100 points just three times in their last nine games, and they managed just 79 and 80 points in their last two outings.

Nobody could get anything going against the Heat on Christmas Day. Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol scored 17 points each, but Bryant was just 6-16 from the field while Gasol missed his first seven shots. Neither has played especially well lately. Bryant is averaging just 16.7 points per game in his last four outings, while Gasol has surpassed 20 points just once in his last seven games.

This will be the first meeting of the year between L.A. and San Antonio. The Lakers hold a 6-4 edge of their last 10 games, including a 7-3 record against the spread. The Spurs won 100-81 in their last meeting, covering as a five-point underdog. The total has gone under in four straight games between the Lakers and Spurs; BetED.com has set the total for Tuesday's game at XXX points.

Benson ATS Prediction
Take the Spurs -3.5 at Sportsbook.