The Los Angeles Lakers (7-4) and San Antonio Spurs (6-6) will meet in the group stage of NBA Cup tonight. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, TX. The game will broadcast live on ESPN.
The Lakers are 3.5-point favorites on the spread over the Spurs (Lakers -3.5), with the over/under set at 228.5 total points. The Lakers are -155 favorites to win outright, while the Spurs are +130 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Spurs vs Lakers predictions and NBA picks for Friday, November 15.
Lakers vs. Spurs Picks, Prediction
Spread, Moneyline
I will not be taking a side in tonight's game.
Over/Under
I am not making an official total prediction for tonight's game, but I lean toward the over.
My Pick: Stephon Castle Over 10.5 Points
Lakers vs. Spurs Odds
| Lakers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3.5 -110 | 228.5 -110o / -110u | -155 |
| Spurs Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3.5 -110 | 228.5 -110o / -110u | +130 |
- Lakers vs. Spurs spread: Lakers -3.5
- Lakers vs. Spurs over/under: 228.5 points
- Lakers vs. Spurs moneyline: Lakers -155, Spurs +130
My Spurs vs. Lakers best bet is on Stephon Castle to go over his points prop line. FanDuel has the best odds, but make sure to shop for the best line with our live NBA odds page.
Lakers vs. Spurs Preview
While NBA Cup play tipped off on Tuesday night, the Lakers and Spurs will play their first West Group B game tonight. It is the first meeting between the teams since LeBron James and Anthony Davis helped the United States defeat Victor Wembanyama and France in the Gold Medal Game of the Paris Summer Olympics. Tonight's game comes with the stars entering playing at a high level.
James has a recorded a triple-double in each of his last three games. In that span, he is averaging 25 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 14.3 assists per game. Davis is the league's second-leading scorer at 30.2 points per game. He also has four double-doubles and is averaging 10.8 rebounds per game.
After an up-and-down start to the season offensively, Wembanyama is averaging 36 points over his last three games, highlighted by his first 50-point game on Wednesday night against the Wizards.
Wembanyama's 3-point volume has been a much-discussed topic this season, but right now he is on a heater. Wembanyama has knocked down 20 3s over his last three games and is shooting 54% from deep in that span. Wembanyama's surge coincides with the return of guard Devin Vassell, who provides much-needed spacing to the Spurs' offense.
With a total of 228.5 points, the stars will be expected to do the heavy lifting tonight. However, there may be a rookie that plays a vital role tonight as well.
Stephon Castle has scored in double figures in five of his last six games. In that span, he is averaging 12.1 points per game. The rookie has already established a role in the Spurs' rotation as he played 25 minutes in six straight games. He has taken 10+ field goal attempts in four of those games.
Tonight, Castle will likely be defended by Austin Reaves and D'Angelo Russell when he comes in off the bench. With the Lakers' defensive game plan likely focused on shutting down Wembanyama, Castle may be able to take advantage and have another double-figure scoring night.
Lakers vs. Spurs Prediction
Castle's season-high to this point came a couple of games ago when he scored 23 points against the Jazz. That has bumped his scoring line up to 10.5 points, and he has been hooked on 10 points the last two games. Still, he has hit this line in three of his past six games.
Tonight, he gets a plus-matchup against the Lakers, who are allowing 24.5 points per game to shooting guards. With Reaves and Russell both being below-average defenders, that does not come as a surprise. Should Castle get 10 field goal attempts again, he will have a strong opportunity to clear this line in what should be a high-scoring game.
With that in mind, I will be including James, Davis, and Wembanyama in a same game parlay.
