Pick against the spread, over/under for Lakers vs. Spurs on Tuesday

Update: LeBron James has been officially ruled out for the contest, according to Lakers reporter Mike Trudell. He was questionable to play with an ankle injury and the Lakers are on the first game of a back-to-back, so holding out the superstar is probably the right move. This absence will definitely impact the line and the total, although Los Angeles should still be the pick against a struggling Spurs team. The under might be the play instead of the over, but bettors should still take the Lakers against the spread.

The Los Angeles Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs will square off at the AT&T Center in Texas on October 26th with tip-off set for 8:30 p.m. ET. The game can be watched regionally on Bally Sports Southwest or Spectrum SportsNet, or streamed via NBA League Pass. Both teams are sitting at 1-2 through the first three games, with the Lakers opening the season with a pair of losses to the Warriors and the Suns while the Spurs lost their last two straight to the Nuggets and the Bucks.

Lakers vs. Spurs, 8:30 p.m. ET

Pick ATS: Lakers -3.5 (-115)

After a couple missteps by the Lakers to start the season, they bounced back in a big way against the Grizzlies in their last game, earning a hard-fought 121-118 victory. Carmelo Anthony went big for 28 points while Anthony Davis added 22 points and eight rebounds, helping the Lakers grab their first win of the season.

The win proved that they can get past teams even when LeBron James isn’t the most dominant player on the court, which is a silver lining for the Lakers considering LeBron is listed as questionable ahead of Tuesday’s contest due to ankle soreness. With the Spurs on a two-game losing streak, this should be a chance for the Lakers to grab a comfortable win and easily cover the spread in San Antonio.

Over/Under: Over 223 (-110)

Both teams have scored more than enough through their first few games — aside from the one time the Spurs didn’t break 100 in their 102-96 loss to the Nuggets. Both sides have the potential to rack up big scores, especially with the Lakers’ offense potentially running rampant with Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and Carmelo Anthony all capable of putting up 20-30 points or more in any given night. The Spurs also have players with high point ceilings in guys like Keldon Johnson and Doug McDermott, who have also put up solid performances this season so far.

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