Lakers vs. Spurs, NHL best bets for Wednesday, Jan. 7
The previous three times the San Antonio Spurs lost consecutive games, they bounced back with a win. Coach Mitch Johnson hopes 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 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, each picking up a win.
Both clubs enjoyed 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 victory against the Pelicans in New Orleans. It’s the third straight victory for Los Angeles, which will be without starting guards Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura due to calf injuries and may also be missing LeBron James, as the superstar has yet to play back-to-back games this season.
There are 11 more games on the NBA schedule on Wednesday, one of which will see the Toronto Raptors (22-15) travel to Spectrum Center to take on the Charlotte Hornets (13-23) at 7 p.m. ET. Both teams are looking for a third straight victory, as Toronto swept two home meetings with the Atlanta Hawks while Charlotte picked up road victories over the Chicago Bulls and the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
Five games are on the NHL schedule, including a clash between the Calgary Flames (18-20-4) and the Montreal Canadiens (23-13-6) at 7:30 p.m. ET at the Bell Centre. The Canadiens beat 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, one of them being an Atlantic 10 Conference matchup between Saint Louis (13-1) and VCU (11-4) on CBS Sports Network. The event will begin at 7 p.m. ET at the Siegel Center in Richmond, Virginia. The Billikens enter the game with a seven-game winning streak, while the Rams have recorded five straight victories.
The Spurs are 8.5-point favorites against the Lakers in the latest NBA consensus odds, while the Raptors are 1.5-point favorites against the Hornets. The Canadiens are -149 on the money line against the Flames, and VCU is a 3.5-point favorite against Saint Louis.
Below is a preview of what to watch and bet on for Wednesday, January 7. All times Eastern
NBA best bets, where to watch
Raptors and Hornets
Time: 7 p.m. | Location: Charlotte | TV: NBA League Pass | Flow: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine Choice – Model: Raptors -124 | Expert: Kon Knueppel Over 17.5 points (-127, Mike Barner)
The Hornets have given the Raptors a tough time this season, winning two of their previous three meetings and losing by just two points in the other. However, Toronto has been playing well lately, as it has won four of its last five games and is coming off back-to-back triumphs over Atlanta – both by at least 17 points. The Hornets have yet to win three in a row this season, and the SportsLine projection model doesn’t project that to happen 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 games.
Lakers at Spurs
Time: 9:30 p.m. | Location: Saint-Antoine | TV: ESPN | Flow: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine Choice – Model: Spurs -8.5 (-102) | Expert: Julian Champagnie Over 17.5 points + rebounds (-128, PropBetGuy)
There’s a good chance James won’t play in this contest after tying 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. Taking all of that into account, SportsLine Projection Model simulations have San Antonio covering the spread 53% of the time. SportsLine prop expert PropBetGuy (34-19, +1205 over his last 53 NBA player prop picks) believes 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 combined points and rebounds in 11 of the last 15 games in which he has played at least 26 minutes.
NHL best bets, where to watch
Flames among the Canadians
Time: 7:30 p.m. | Location: Montreal | TV: ESPN+ | Flow: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine Choice – Model: Under 6.5 (-136) | Expert: Canadiens ML (-146, Matt Severance)
The Canadiens are eighth in the NHL 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 resulted in a total of six goals or less, and these teams only had three total when they met in October. The SportsLine projection model took all of this information into account, and as a result, the Under succeeds in over 52% of its simulations. SportsLine pundit Matt Severance (12-6, +525.5 over his last 18 NHL picks) likes the Canadiens to win coming back 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, Virginia | TV: CBS Sports Network | Flow: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine Choice – Model: Under 171.5 (-112) | Expert: Saint Louis +2.5 (-108, Larry Hartstein)
The Rams have been involved in some highlight-reel deals as of late, but the same can’t be said for the Billikens. Only three of Saint Louis’ last 11 games have scored more than 171 total points, and two of them have totaled 172 points. The SportsLine Projection Model sees this trend continuing, as its simulations show the Under hitting almost 73% of the time. SportsLine pundit Larry Hartstein likes the Billikens to cover the spread as they are second in the nation by a plus-27.5 point margin.
