The NBA Playoffs continue Sunday night in Game 1 between the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs. The NBA Playoff odds for the game have the Spurs favored by 5.5 points. The game is scheduled for a 8:30 pm start time and it will be televised live on ABC. The spread shows that bookmakers have a prediction of a low-scoring, close home win for the Celtics.
Picks: The Thunder and Spurs have been waiting a few days to play in the Western Conference Finals. Tonight they get the change to take on each other for the first of what should be a good series. Neither team should feel strange having been here before, as Oklahoma City returns for the second consecutive season to the Conference Finals. Both teams have dominated up to this point in the post season as neither of their opponents really came close to giving them a series in the first two rounds. The top-seeded Spurs beat up on Utah and the Los Angeles Clippers by an average of 14 points a game. They are also chasing some history. The Spurs are just a single victory away from tying the 2001 Los Angeles Lakers for the longest winning streak during a postseason and two wins from becoming just the fourth team in NBA history to win 20 in row. The Thunder have lost just one game prior to this point, but avenged falling at the brink of the NBA Finals a season ago with a sweep of defending champion Dallas, then beat the Lakers in five. Kevin Durant has played well and won the scoring title in the regular season. Russell Westbrook and Sixth Man of the Year James Harden are going to have to come up big for the Thunder in this series as well. The Spurs are older, yes, but they have proven to be probably the best overall team in the league this season quite a few times. Spurs point guard Tony Parker turned 30 last week. Manu Ginobili is 34 and Tim Duncan is 36 years old, but San Antonio hasn't let age stop them yet.
Prediction: The Spurs have gone 8-2 against the Thunder since 2009, and beat them twice this year without Ginobili on the floor. San Antonio also was the best team in the league at shooting and making 3-pointers this season at 39.3 percent overall. During their wins against Oklahoma City, they connected for 52 percent of those shots from long range. I think we'll take the Spurs in this game tonight. They seem to be on another planet as far as teams go and are chasing history in addition to an NBA title. That probably has to speak for something. I'm expecting a big game from Duncan. Spurs 99, Thunder 90
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NBA Free Picks: Oklahoma City Thunder at San Antonio Spurs - Game
What NBA bettors need to know about Thunder at Spurs Game 1 - Including a free best bet from Pregame.com's Scott Spreitzer & Vegas Runner!