The previous three times the San Antonio Spurs lost back-to-back games, they bounced back with a victory. Coach Mitch Johnson is hoping his team can respond the same way this time around.
San Antonio (25-11) looks to avoid its first three-game losing streak of the season when it hosts the surging Los Angeles Lakers (23-11) on Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. ET. Two of the top three teams in the Western Conference, the Spurs and Lakers met twice in Los Angeles earlier this season, with each posting a victory.
Both clubs have a quick turnaround, as the Spurs dropped a 106-105 decision to the Grizzlies in Memphis on Tuesday while the Lakers recorded a 111-103 triumph over the Pelicans in New Orleans. It was the third consecutive victory for Los Angeles, which will be without starting guards Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura due to calf injuries and also could be missing LeBron James, as the superstar has yet to play in a back-to-back this season.
There are 11 other games on Wednesday’s NBA schedule, one of which has the Toronto Raptors (22-15) visiting the Spectrum Center to take on the Charlotte Hornets (13-23) at 7 p.m. ET. Both teams are seeking a third straight victory, as Toronto swept a pair of home meetings with the Atlanta Hawks while Charlotte posted road wins against the Chicago Bulls and defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
Five games are on the NHL slate, including a showdown between the Calgary Flames (18-20-4) and Montreal Canadiens (23-13-6) at 7:30 p.m. ET at the Bell Centre. The Canadiens edged the Flames 2-1 in overtime when the clubs met in Calgary in late October.
Meanwhile, a plethora of college basketball games take place on Wednesday, with one being an Atlantic 10 Conference clash between Saint Louis (13-1) and VCU (11-4) on CBS Sports Network. It tips off at 7 p.m. ET at the Siegel Center in Richmond, Va. The Billikens enter the matchup with a seven-game winning streak, while the Rams have posted five consecutive victories.
The Spurs are 8.5-point favorites against the Lakers in the latest consensus NBA odds, while the Raptors are 1.5-point favorites versus the Hornets. The Canadiens are -149 on the money line against the Flames, and VCU is a 3.5-point favorite versus Saint Louis.
Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet for Wednesday, Jan. 7. All times Eastern
NBA best bets, where to watch
Raptors at Hornets
Time: 7 p.m. | Location: Charlotte | TV: NBA League Pass | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Raptors -124 | Expert: Kon Knueppel Over 17.5 points (-127, Mike Barner)
The Hornets have given the Raptors fits this season, winning two of their previous three meetings and losing by just two points in the other. Toronto has been playing well of late, however, as it has won four of its last five contests and is coming off back-to-back triumphs over Atlanta — both by at least 17 points. The Hornets have yet to post three consecutive victories this season, and the SportsLine Projection Model doesn’t see it happening now, as the Raptors win in 56% of its simulations. SportsLine NBA expert Mike Barner believes Charlotte guard Kon Knueppel will continue to be a solid contributor offensively, as the rookie has scored at least 18 points in 10 of his last 11 contests.
Lakers at Spurs
Time: 9:30 p.m. | Location: San Antonio | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Spurs -8.5 (-102) | Expert: Julian Champagnie Over 17.5 points + rebounds (-128, PropBetGuy)
There’s a good chance James will sit out this contest after matching Luka Doncic for the team lead with 30 points in Tuesday’s triumph over New Orleans. With Reaves and Hachimura already sidelined, the Lakers won’t have many scoring options other than Doncic, leaving them ripe for a blowout loss. The Spurs won by 13 points when the teams met in Los Angeles last month, and the Lakers had all three of those players in the lineup. Considering all that, the SportsLine Projection Model’s simulations have San Antonio covering the spread 53% of the time. SportsLine props expert PropBetGuy (34-19, +1205 on his last 53 NBA player prop picks) feels Spurs forward Julian Champagnie will receive a large amount of playing time and make the most of it, as he has recorded more than 17 points and rebounds combined in 11 of the last 15 games in which he’s played at least 26 minutes.
NHL best bets, where to watch
Flames at Canadiens
Time: 7:30 p.m. | Location: Montreal | TV: ESPN+ | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Under 6.5 (-136) | Expert: Canadiens ML (-146, Matt Severance)
The Canadiens are eighth in the NHL in scoring with 141 goals, but the Flames are 30th with 112 — just five more than the last-place St. Louis Blues. Five of Calgary’s last six games have had a total of six goals or fewer, and these teams combined for only three when they faced off in October. The SportsLine Projection Model has taken all of that information into account, and as a result, the Under hits in more than 52% of its simulations. SportsLine expert Matt Severance (12-6, +525.5 on his last 18 NHL money-line picks) likes the Canadiens to prevail as they return from a seven-game road trip (4-1-2), especially since the Flames are just 6-13-2 on the road this season.
CBB best bets, where to watch
Saint Louis at VCU
Time: 7 p.m. | Location: Richmond, Va. | TV: CBS Sports Network | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Under 171.5 (-112) | Expert: Saint Louis +2.5 (-108, Larry Hartstein)
The Rams have been involved in some high-scoring affairs of late, but the same cannot be said of the Billikens. Only three of Saint Louis’ last 11 games have had more than 171 total points scored, and two of them had a combined 172 produced. The SportsLine Projection Model sees that trend continuing, as its simulations have the Under hitting almost 73% of the time. SportsLine expert Larry Hartstein likes the Billikens to cover the spread since they are second in the nation with a plus-27.5 point scoring margin.
