A huge game in the NBA takes place tonight as the two top teams in the Western Conference go head-to-head when the San Antonio Spurs travel to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Oklahoma have had a magical season so far and come into this game with a 33-7 record, putting them top of the NBA standings overall, while the Spurs have had a strong season themselves and come into this game with a 27-12 record, ranking them third overall in the NBA.
We’ll take a look at the match-up and provide you with our best free NBA betting picks, as we hope to earn you some extra cash while you enjoy the action on the court.
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San Antonio came into the season with big expectations after Victor Wembanyama took the league by storm in his rookie season. He kick-started once again this year with some stellar performances, as Spurs went 5-0 to open their campaign with wins over the Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans, Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors, and Miami Heat.
That run was halted with back-to-back defeat against the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers, before three more victories to get back to winning ways. The team then lost their next two, before winning five of their next seven to end November with a 13-6 record.
December was another excellent month for San Antonio, as they started the month with five wins in six games, defeating Oklahoma City in Las Vegas along the way. A defeat to the New York Knicks stopped that momentum in it’s tracks, but they responded with another five-game winning run, including two more wins over Oklahoma City Thunder. The team then lost two of their final three games of the month, ending 2025 with a record of 24-9.
So far in 2026, the team have gone 3-3, with a defeat against the Minnesota Timberwolves last time out.
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The defending champions came into the year with many expecting them to repeat their success, and so far this season they haven’t disappointed. Oklahoma opened their campaign with eight straight victories, including wins over the Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Clippers.
Their first defeat of the season came in their ninth game, against the Portland Trail Blazers, but that sparked a sensational winning run by the Thunder, as they won their next 16 games in a row, including memorable blowout victories over the Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz, and Phoenix.
But that run was halted by the San Antonio Spurs, who beat them three times in a run of six games, as the Thunder fell to four losses in that run. Oklahoma City bounced back with three consecutive wins to close out 2025, ending the year with a 29-5 record.
Oklahoma also opened 2026 with a victory, defeating Golden State 131-94, before two more defeats. But since then, the Thunder have won three games in a row, and will be keen to exact some revenge over the Spurs in this one.
This is set to be a huge game between two of the very best teams in the NBA this season, and could well be a preview of what to expect in the playoffs later this year.
The meetings between these teams earlier this season have been exciting, but they have all gone San Antonio’s way. The first game ended 111-109 in a close-fought battle, but the other two games were more convincing, with the Spurs winning 130-110 and then 117-102.
While they may seem to have Oklahoma’s number so far, the games against the rest of the league show that the Thunder are the better team. Offensively, they have scored an average of 121.4 points per game compared to 118.1 points per game for the Spurs, and defensively Oklahoma has the best defense in the NBA, allowing just 108.4 points per game compared to the Spurs’ 112.6 points per game.
Home court advantage will likely be a big deal too, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander comes into this game in sensational form. He is averaging 31.9 points per game himself this season, a number that only Luka Doncic can better. By comparison, Wembanyama is San Antonio’s best scorer this season with an average of 24.3 points per game, which would rank him 19th in the league.
Psychologically, the Spurs will have the edge after results this season, but on paper Oklahoma are the better side and there is good value here for them to continue their winning run and get revenge.
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About the Author
Daniel is a football writer who has a great thirst for the Premier League and other major European leagues. A lover of the beautiful game and a firm believer that the eye test is better than statistics. Also an avid MMA fan.
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