The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs are currently lined up to face off in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. However, there is plenty of time for movement and one of them will be improving their standing when these teams face off in a critical end-of-season matchup this week.
The Spurs could be without their best two players, which helps negate the home court advantage. This is the type of game that could be a virtual toss-up and come down to the wire. Oklahoma City is currently sitting as the No. 4 seed in the West and a win over the Spurs would be a big help in securing home court advantage in the first round in NBA basketball wagering.
Don't miss the hardwood action from the AT&T Center at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 29, 2018. Catch every moment of the game live on TNT.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Thursday schedule.
Odds Analysis
The Thunder is 44-31 straight up and 31-43-1 against the spread on the season. Oklahoma City has covered in 15 of 37 attempts on the road. The Thunder has gone 25-38-1 against the spread as the favorite and 6-5 as the underdog.
The Spurs are 43-32 straight up and 37-34-4 against the spread. San Antonio is 22-13-2 against the spread at home on the year. The Spurs are 27-23-3 attempting to cover as the favorite and 10-11-1 against the spread as the underdog.
Injury Report
The Spurs lost star forward LaMarcus Aldridge to a left knee injury in a loss last time out against the Wizards. Aldridge headed to the locker room in the second quarter and didn’t return. The team is awaiting MRI results on the injury and are hoping it isn’t anything serious.
At this point it seems like Aldridge could miss this contest, which would have a big effect on the NBA basketball spread. Aldridge is averaging 23.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. He is shooting 50.8 percent from the field and is one of the most skilled big men in the game. The Spurs don’t have a ton of other scoring options and could struggle without Aldridge.
Kawhi Leonard still hasn’t returned from a quadriceps injury and it doesn’t seem likely he will be back for this one. If San Antonio is without its two stars it will be much tougher to win, even at home. At full strength the Spurs are one of the best teams in the NBA but they have rarely had their full complement of players this season.
Player To Watch
Russell Westbrook — With Leonard expected to be absent, the clear-cut best player on the floor will be Oklahoma City’s dynamic point guard. Westbrook has followed up his MVP season with another fabulous campaign. He is averaging 25.4 points, 10.2 assists and 9.7 rebounds per game.
Westbrook averaged a triple-double last season and has an off chance of pulling the feat once again, but would need to put up huge rebounding numbers down the stretch. Westbrook had a typically great game last time out with 23 points, nine assists, eight rebounds and four steals but Oklahoma City lost a close one to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Free NBA ATS Picks
Much of this game hinges on the health of San Antonio. If the Spurs have Aldridge, then they will be favored. But without him the Thunder could be in good shape to pull out the road win. San Antonio has great fundamentals and team defense but Westbrook can overcome that with his sheer talent.
Take the Thunder to win this game as well as cover the spread in NBA basketball wagering.
NBA Odds: Thunder 101, Spurs 95
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
