NBA Betting: San Antonio Spurs vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
by Mike Rose
NBA betting action kicks off the second week of March on Monday night with a great clash between the San Antonio Spurs and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Spurs are clinging to their playoff lives right now, as they have just a slender margin between themselves and the Rockets, Grizzlies, and Hornets who are all in hot pursuit. They've covered three in a row and won four straight after knocking off the Grizz 102-92 in Memphis on Saturday.
Cleveland still has the best record in the NBA, but its six-game winning streak came to a close on Saturday with a 92-85 loss at Milwaukee in a game that F LeBron James didn't play in.
San Antonio Spurs (36-24, 29-30-1 ATS) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (49-15, 32-31-1 ATS)
NBA Odds:
San Antonio Spurs +6
Cleveland Cavaliers -6
Game Total: 195
HC Gregg Popovich has tinkered with his lineup card time and time again, and the combination of players that he used in his team's win over Memphis appears to be a winning one.
F DeJuan Blair, G Manu Ginobili, F Matt Bonner, and F Richard Jefferson all came off the bench to score in double digits, while two starters, F Antonio McDyess and G Keith Bogans were both held scoreless.
The only horrible news from that win in Memphis is that G Tony Parker suffered a hand injury that is going to cause him to miss at least the next month of the season. That probably means more minutes for Bogans, G George Hill, and Ginobili.
As always, the reliable F Tim Duncan is the MVP of this squad. He is one of the few players in the NBA averaging a double-double, scoring 19.0 points and bringing down 10.8 rebounds per game.
Hopefully for Cleveland fans, playing without James in the lineup on Saturday wasn't a precursor to what they'll see next season with #23 looking to pursue free agency once this year is over.
F Antawn Jamison had himself a heck of a game though, scoring 30 points and bringing in 11 boards, but only he and G Delonte West (27 points) registered double digits in scoring. Without C Shaquille O'Neal guarding the paint, things just didn't seem right for the Cavs inside either.
Still, the Cavaliers don't need to push the panic button at this point. They're still averaging 102.3 points per game, good enough for the seventh best tally in the NBA, and they also have one of the best defenses in the league surrendering just 95.1 points per game.
NBA Insider Betting Tip: San Antonio is 13-5-1 ATS in its L/19 Monday games.
If you're planning on backing the Cavs in this one, you're hoping that LeBron is able to give it a go. If not, the complexion of this game is completely different. But since James is listed as probable, we'll back Cleveland to win this one outright.
Still, San Antonio's leverage on the inside with Duncan makes this game very interesting, and it should be a close one throughout whether "The King" plays or not.
My NBA Prediction: Cleveland by 4
