Spurs vs Lakers Free Pick, NBA Free Picks, NBA Predictions 12/10/25
- J.A. Cavalier
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
SAN ANTONIO @ LA LAKERS (LAL -5.5, 236.5)
NBA ODDS, NBA PREDICTIONS, NBA PREVIEWS
SPURS @ LAKERS 12/10/25
In an NBA Cup West semifinal tonight, the Los Angeles Lakers will take on the San Antonio Spurs. These are two Western Conference heavyweights trying to be the main contender in taking down the reigning NBA champions, Oklahoma City.
Given that the Lakers have won nine of their last 11 games and the Spurs have won eight of their last 11, both teams are hot. While the Spurs are succeeding without Victor Wembanyama (calf), the Lakers had LeBron James return over the stretch.
If the Thunder defeat the Phoenix Suns in the other West semifinal, the winner of this game may face Oklahoma City in a very good midseason litmus test.
Before the Spurs defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 135-132 on the road on Monday, Wembanyama worked out before the game but did not participate. On Wednesday, he will miss his 12th consecutive game after being declared out while traveling to Los Angeles.
Harrison Barnes scored a team-high 24 points on Monday, including four three-pointers, while youngster Dylan Harper scored 22 points off the bench for the Spurs. Julian Champagnie hit five three-pointers to add 17 points.
For the first time in ten games, Stephon Castle (hip) played for the Spurs. He scored 18 points and dished out five assists. For the first time this season, the guard trio of Castle, Harper, and De'Aaron Fox (14 points) were all available in a game for San Antonio.
Harper remarked, "I think we all trust each other with the ball," "We three don't have any egos, which is really important in this league. I believe that no matter what, we all want to see each other prosper. Simply adopt the mentality of playing off one another and focus on winning as your shared objective.
San Antonio's three-point shooting percentage was 17-of-36 (47.2%) without their 7-foot-4 inside menace, Wembanyama. The Lakers, who are among the worst at defending long-range shots—as opponents shoot 37.9% from the three-point line—will now take on the Spurs.
James made his season debut on November 18. Marcus Smart is also anticipated to return after missing the previous six games. James has averaged 16.1 points and 7.6 assists in seven games.
On Sunday, Los Angeles defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 112-108 on the road after James made a game-winning three-pointer with 1:12 and another with 27.4 seconds remaining. After only scoring eight points in his last game, James ended his record double-digit scoring streak at 1,297 games. He finished the game against the Sixers with a season-high 29 points (12 in the fourth quarter).
Austin Reaves scored 11 points on 3-of-16 shooting against the 76ers, while Doncic finished with 31 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 assists. The Lakers return to Los Angeles after a 2-1 road trip, where they lost to the Suns 125-108 on December 1 to halt a six-game home winning run. The victory over the Spurs on November 5th, 118-116, was part of the winning run.
The winner on Wednesday will travel to Las Vegas for the West final on Saturday, and the NBA Cup final between the East and West winners is scheduled for Las Vegas next Tuesday.
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FREE PICK
GAME TOTAL OVER 236.5
These two offenses are pretty good. The Lakers ranks sixth and the Spurs seventh in Offensive Rating. Both teams average over 118 points per game. The other issue is the leaky defenses, especially the Lakers. LA ranks 20th in Defensive Rating. The Spurs are only slightly better at No. 16. The Lakers are also one of the weakest transition defenses, ranking 26th in transition points per 100 possessions allowed. Tonight’s total is the highest in this series since the two teams met in 2023. The two teams played at the beginning of the season with a total of 227.5. Now, it’s almost 10 points higher and you can find 237 and 238 out there at some sportsbooks. Expect points tonight.
