San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder: 3 Best Bets
The San Antonio Spurs play their second NBA In-Season Tournament game tonight at 6:30 pm, traveling to the Paycom Center to take on Chet Holmgren and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
There have been rumblings that Victor Wembanyama and Holmgren are already the NBA’s best young rivalry, but so far their relationship has been mostly friendly.
"[Chet] is a really good player," Wembanyama said. "I played against him once a couple of years back. He's part of the great players of this generation."
The Spurs may be shorthanded as the two teams match up for the first time this regular season. San Antonio has Keldon Johnson, Tre Jones, and Jeremy Sochan all listed as questionable. On the other side, Kenrich Williams is questionable for the Thunder.
Keep in mind that the odds of Jones and Sochan both missing the game are rather low. As the two point guards on the team, one of them will be needed to facilitate the offense.
Jeremy Sochan scored 16 points against the Heat, primarily as point guard since Tre Jones did not play.
Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports
With Johnson still questionable, the Spurs’ offensive output will mostly run through Devin Vassell and Wembanyama, meaning the overs look even better than normal. Below are the lines and odds offered by SI Sportsbook.
The Lines
Point spread: Thunder -9.5 (-118)/Spurs +9.5 (-118)
Moneyline: Thunder (-450)/Spurs (+300)
Over/under: 236.5
Our Picks
Safe pick: Victor Wembanyama OVER 20.5 points (-125)
If Johnson and either Sochan or Jones fail to play, then the majority of the offensive burden will fall on Wemby. For most fans, this is good news, since Wembanyama has showcased generational talent when the offense runs through him. With limited options around him to score the ball, the over–which is higher than normal–is still looking good.
Opponent pick: Chet Holmgren OVER 1.5 blocks (-175)
Chet Holmgren might be the only player in the NBA with the height and length to block Wembanyama’s shots. If Wemby carries the majority of the offense, it will only be a matter of time before Holmgren swats away a shot. Plus, if any Spur drives to the hoop, Holmgren can come out of nowhere and swat it away. He is averaging 2.3 blocks per game, so asking him to perform slightly worse than average against this Spurs squad is not a tall order.
Team pick: Spurs +9.5 (-118)
Any spread above double digits is ridiculous, and this one is rather close. The Thunder have won three of their last four and the Spurs have lost five in a row. The Spurs would shock everyone if they win this game, but they could keep it close, especially if either Sochan or Jones play. Both of them have the defensive chops to make things difficult for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. This game might not be very close, but it shouldn’t be a blowout, either.
