by Chuck Sommers
Sunday, Nov 14, 2021
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Where to watch: Spectrum SportsNet, Bally Sports Southwest-San Antonio
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Lakers -2.5
BetMGM: Lakers -2.5
Caesars: Lakers -2.5
Season record
Spurs: 4-8
Lakers: 7-6
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Spurs - Lakers preview and analysis
Recent form
Spurs: lost 123-109 vs. Mavericks on Friday
Lakers: lost 107-83 vs. Timberwolves on Friday
You knew the Los Angeles Lakers would have to skirt by without LeBron James, but man, you never thought it’d be this bad.
The Lakers supposedly got things back on track with two hard-fought overtime victories at home over the Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat, only to come back and lay an egg against the struggling Minnesota Timberwolves.
But the Lakers will have to continue this run without LeBron on Sunday when they face the San Antonio Spurs at home in a battle of struggling teams.
It’s been a cluster of struggle for the Lakers. A couple of wins here, a couple of losses follow, etc. That trend continued Friday in a 24-point loss to the Timberwolves in which the Lakers shot 35 percent from the floor and got no production outside of Anthony Davis (22 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks) and Russell Westbrook (20 points, 3 assists, 5 rebounds).
No other Lakers player scored in double figures, and the team shot 9 of 41 from 3-point range.
"We're not going to win a championship the way we're playing," Davis said. "We have to be better. ... We've got to decide who we want to be. A championship team? That's not us right now."
As it stands for the Lakers, them getting to a championship is all predicated on the man wearing No. 6. James is not expected back until next week and there hasn’t been a full grasp of what the full look of this Lakers team can be. Carmelo Anthony was 1 of 12 shooting on Friday, and Malik Monk made only 3 of 12.
The heaping expectations on the Lakers are head and shoulders above the Spurs, who are just trying to regain some sort of identity through the youth movement. The Spurs are coming off a 14-point loss at AT&T Center to the Dallas Mavericks on Friday that saw Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis go off for 32 points apiece.
San Antonio did have six players in double figures, led by 20 off the bench from Devin Vassell. Dejounte Murray and Keldon Johnson had 15 points apiece for the Spurs, who actually shot the ball well (48.8 percent overall, 43 percent from 3). But Dallas outrebounded San Antonio 48-41 and committed eight turnovers more.
"We can't get too complacent after we get one win," Spurs forward Doug McDermott said.
This is oblong territory for Gregg Popovich and his group, but the one thing you can never discount is how hard the Spurs will play defensively. Murray and Derrick White provide one of the most promising backcourts in the NBA, and they’ll be ready for the challenge against Westbrook and whoever else starts in the perimeter.
Prediction
It wouldn’t be a Lakers game without some struggles against teams they should beat, and I have no doubt the Spurs want to rebound after how Friday ended. Overall, they played well enough to win … if the opponents didn’t have Doncic and Porzingis. San Antonio rebounds for a solid road win and gets back on track, while the Lakers continue to figure out what they are. Spurs by 10
Betting trends
The Spurs are 3-1 ATS as a road underdog this season.
The Spurs are 17-19 ATS off a home loss over the past three seasons.
The Lakers are 2-7 ATS as a home favorite this season.
The Lakers are 1-5 ATS after a stretch of winning two of three.
Projected starting lineup
Spurs:
PG: Dejounte Murray
SG: Derrick White
SF: Doug McDermott
PF: Keldon Johnson
C: Drew Eubanks
SF: Doug McDermott
PF: Keldon Johnson
C: Drew Eubanks
Lakers:
PG: Russell Westbrook
SG: Avery Bradley
SF: Kent Bazemore
PF: Carmelo Anthony
C: Anthony Davis
SF: Kent Bazemore
PF: Carmelo Anthony
C: Anthony Davis
Key injuries
Spurs: C Jakob Poeltl (COVID, out)
Lakers: SF LeBron James (abdomen, out), SG Talen Horton-Tucker (thumb, out)
Statistical leaders
Spurs:
Points: Dejounte Murray -- 18.1
Rebounds: Dejounte Murray -- 7.7
Assists: Dejounte Murray -- 7.8
Lakers:
Points: Anthony Davis -- 23.8
Rebounds: Anthony Davis -- 11.0
Assists: Russell Westbrook -- 8.5
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
