Lakers vs Spurs NBA Cup Preview: How to Watch, Odds, Predictions, More

The Lakers begin play in the 2024 NBA cup on Friday.

Eva Geitheim | 3 Hours Ago

Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

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Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers begin play in the 2024 NBA Cup with a game against the San Antonio Spurs as they seek to defend their 2023 In-Season Tournament championship. The Lakers will face the Spurs, Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns, and Oklahoma City Thunder in the group stage as they look to advance back to the knockout stages of the tournament.

How to Watch

Lakers-Spurs will start at 4:30 p.m. PT in San Antonio. The game will air on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, and Spectrum SportsNet. The matchup can also be streamed on ESPN, the Fubo TV app, and Sling TV.

Odds

The Lakers are (-3) road favorites over the Spurs. The over/under is set at 227.5.

Predictions

Can the Lakers win on the road? The Lakers are riding a three-game winning streak heading into this matchup, but all three of those wins came at home. The Lakers are 7-4, but just 1-4 on the road. Their team played significantly worse during their five-game road trip, particularly on defense. Their only road win came against a 2-10 Toronto Raptors team that ranks last in the Eastern Conference.

Since their last road trip, head coach JJ Redick swapped Cam Reddish for D'Angelo Russell, which provided a needed boost to the defense and bench. Will the switch have the same impact away from the Crypto.com Arena?

Even if the Lakers aren't as consistent on the road, they could be fine if LeBron James continues on his current tear. James has recorded a triple-double in each of the Lakers' last three games, including 35 points, 12 rebounds, and 14 assists against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. James has become the oldest player with three consecutive games with a triple-double and has once again defied his age.

Prediction: Lakers 120, Spurs 112

Victor Wembanyama is coming off one of the best games of his career. On Wednesday against the Washington Wizards, Wembanyama scored 50 points while leading the Spurs to a 139-130 win. This was Wembanyama's career-high in points, and he will be the biggest challenge for the Lakers during this game.

The Spurs are currently led by Mitch Johnson as the team's acting head coach after Gregg Popovich suffered a mild stroke, and are 3-3 since. Popovich is out indefinitely but is expected to make a full recovery.