Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs: Prediction and Betting Tips for 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament | Nov. 14, 2023
The Oklahoma City Thunder boast a 6-4 record heading into their Nov. 14 contest against the San Antonio Spurs. The Thunder have looked impressive to begin the season, with Josh Giddy and Jalen Williams both looking like they've taken a step forward in their development. Chet Holmgren has also been impressive over his first 10 games in the NBA.
The Spurs, on the other hand, are solely focused on developing the talent on their roster, most notably Victor Wembanyama. Gregg Popovich's team currently holds a 3-7 record, yet it's Wembanyama's performances that matter most to the franchise. It will be interesting to see who wins the battle of the big men when Holmgren and Wembanyama face off on Tuesday.
This game will be part of the NBA's In-season tournament. Both teams currently play in West Group C, along with the Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors, and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs: Game details, betting tips and prediction
Teams: Oklahoma City Thunder (6-4) vs. San Antonio Spurs (3-7)
Date and Time: November 14, 2023 | 7:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs: Preview
The biggest narrative heading into the contest between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs will be the battle of the big men. Both Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren are in their rookie seasons, and both projects to be future All-Stars in the league.
Oklahoma has been successful since the beginning of the season. The presence of All-NBA guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ensures they're capable of breaking down any defense that's thrown at them. Holmgren provides size, spacing, and an interior presence. Josh Giddey and Jalen Williams are also future stars in the NBA.
The Spurs' rotation has been designed to both feature and protect Wembanyama. Keldon Johnson is the secondary offensive weapon, while Zach Collins provides veteran experience in setting up the team's defense. A lack of depth on the bench hurts Popovich's team, though.
San Antonio could also be without multiple players due to injuries. Johnson starts the day as questionable, along with Tre Jones and Jeremy Sochan. The Thunder have a clean bill of health heading into the game.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs: Predicted starting lineups
The Oklahoma City Thunder's starting five could look like this: Shail Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Luguentz Dort, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren
The Thunder have a good balance of offensive firepower and defensive versatility. After years of rebuilding, they seem ready to become a consistent playoff team.
The San Antonio Spurs starting lineup could look like this: Jeremey Sochan, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Victor Wembanyama, Zach Collins.
There is plenty of talent on the Spurs roster. However, the key right now is developing that talent and building winning habits for the future. That means there will be a lot of losses throughout the season.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs: Betting Tips
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 29.4 points per game to begin the season. He enters the game at -110 to score over 31.5 points, which, when the Spurs defense is taken into account, is a fair line. If you prefer to take the under, you can get -114 on under 31.5.
Devin Vassell enters the contest against the Thunder, shooting 42.9% from 3-point range. He is -125 to score over 2.5 threes for the Spurs and +100 to hit the under. He's currently averaging 2.6 made threes per game.
Victor Wembanyama is -105 to grab more than 9.5 rebounds. At 7-foot-4, he's always a threat to dominate on the glass. However, he's going up against another 7-foot phenom in Chet Holmgren. If you prefer the under, you can get it at -125.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs: Prediction
The Oklahoma City Thunder will enter their game against the San Antonio Spurs as favorites to secure a win. They are +9 on the spread for -110 and +315 on the money line. The Thunder are -9 and -400, respectively.
Oklahoma City is ready to be a playoff team. They have all the required talent and have ensured the right developmental steps are taken. Unless Victor Wembanyama has a big-time performance, the Thunder should be adding another win to their season total and taking another step toward the top of their in-season tournament group.
The Spurs' lack of bench depth and top-end talent will hurt them against a Thunder team that appears to have completed their rebuild.