Will the Texans even the series?
Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals is just around the corner, and we’re bringing you a San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder tip. The hosts started the series with a win, but since then the defending champions have taken control with two victories.
The visitors’ bench, in particular, has been very strong. One example was the last game, in which the bench players scored more points than the starting five. Given the visitors’ greater depth on the roster, we’re predicting that OKC won’t lose by four or more points in the upcoming matchup between the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder.
Furthermore, the home team also has a high-performing bench player in Keldon Johnson. The forward has steadily improved throughout the postseason. While he averaged 6.2 points in the first round against Portland, he already averaged 9.3 points in the subsequent Western Conference semifinals against Minnesota.
Now, the 26-year-old is once again averaging just over nine points in the current series against Oklahoma, and in two of the three games played, the reigning “Sixth Man of the Year” has scored in double digits. Given these numbers, the odds on Johnson scoring more than 8.5 points in Game 4 between the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder are equally worth considering.
His preference for home games against OKC further supports this prediction. In the regular season, he scored 25 points in each of the two games in front of his home crowd! By comparison, in the two away games at the Paycom Center, he scored only nine points in each.
San Antonio Spurs – Oklahoma City Thunder Head-to-Head Record
Oklahoma won the last matchup on Saturday night and, looking back at their past six road games at the Frost Bank Center, has a balanced record. The odds for Game 4 between the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder are also fairly evenly split.
San Antonio Spurs – Oklahoma City Thunder Pick
The Spurs should win the upcoming game. Otherwise, they would head back to Oklahoma trailing 1-3, and the defending champions would then have the chance to book their spot in the NBA Finals for the second consecutive year in front of their home crowd. However, we expect a very close contest.
After two wins, the momentum has shifted to OKC, and the visitors’ superior bench is a key factor in their favor. On the other hand, the Spurs still have home-court advantage for now. However, it’s not good news for them that there’s still a question mark regarding De’Aaron Fox’s physical condition.
Although the guard made his first appearance of the series in the last game, his performance left room for improvement. Toward the end of the game, the former Sacramento Kings player had to leave the court early once again.
This is not good news for the home team’s offense, as Fox has been scoring more than 18 points per game in the postseason, just as he did during the regular season. Given this situation, we see sufficient value in betting on the visitors not losing by more than 3.5 points in Game 4 between the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
