NBA Picks: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs
Saturday, 12/21/13, 8:30 PM EST
Opening Point Spread: San Antonio -3
Current Betting Line: San Antonio -2.5
Opening Total: 205
Current Total: 205
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

The San Antonio Spurs are expected to be at full strength Saturday night

Oklahoma City has won its last eight games by an average margin of 14.4 points, which includes a 107-95 victory over the Chicago Bulls as 13.5-point home favorites Thursday, while going OVER the betting total of 191. The Thunder are 8-4 SU on the road this season, with all four losses coming against Western Conference opponents, which is important to consider when making your NBA betting picks. Through 25 games, the team’s bench is averaging 33.8 points per game. Oklahoma City is 12-3 SU and 10-5 ATS versus opponents that score 99-plus points per game.

The Thunder lead the NBA in grabbing 47.4 rebounds per game, while they’ve gone 16-1 when winning that statistical category over an opponent during the 2013-14 campaign, which can’t be ignored when looking over the pro basketball odds page. Oklahoma City isn’t just playing great basketball on the offensive end, as it has limited opponents to the second worst field goal shooting percentage in the league. Dating back to last season, the franchise is a dominating 51-1 SU when holding a foe to 42 percent or less field goal shooting.

San Antonio returns home after going 3-1 on its recent road trip, which includes a 104-102 victory over the Golden State Warriors as seven-point road underdogs Thursday, while going OVER the betting total for a third consecutive affair. The Spurs have three probable starters averaging in double figures, with point guard Tony Parker scoring 17.5 points a contest. He’s missed the last two games due to a bruised right shin, but it appears he’ll return to the floor in this high-profile affair. San Antonio is 24-8 SU and 22-9-1 ATS after three or more consecutive OVERs the last two-plus seasons.

The Spurs are 9-2 SU at the AT&T Center, including a 5-1 mark versus conference rivals. San Antonio is known for its bench play, as the group ranks second in the NBA in averaging 46.3 points per game. San Antonio returned 12 players, including all five starters from last season—a group that advanced to the 2013 NBA Finals.