<p>A huge NBA clash will take place on Thursday, January 8, when the San Antonio Spurs face the Los Angeles Lakers in Texas.</p> <p>It is a matchup between two of the top teams in the Western Conference, both trailing the Oklahoma City Thunder by some distance because of OKC's strong start.</p> <p>Still, this game will be all that will be on the mind of the many superstars that play for each side. Will it be Victor Wembanyama’s side that takes the ‘W’? Or, will LeBron James, Luka Doncic and co emerge victorious and carry on to challenge?</p> <p>With the game scheduled to tip off at 13:30 AEDT, read on for our San Antonio Spurs vs Los Angeles Lakers betting predictions and find out what we think will happen in this exciting match on Thursday…</p> <h2>San Antonio Spurs vs Los Angeles Lakers: Betting Preview</h2> <p>The San Antonio Spurs have been exceptional this season. They are 3-0 against OKC, and have looked good value across NBA betting markets throughout the regular season.</p> <p>Even when they have had to play without Wembanyama, they’ve been able to handle other teams on the court. Before their game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, they have an overall record of 10-4 this season without the French sensation. From the bench, the Spurs are 6-0 when he comes on as the first player off the bench.</p> <p>Mitch Johnson will be hoping he is available after losing to the Portland Trail Blazers recently.</p> <p>The Lakers will be a significant challenge for the Spurs, even though they will be without two top players. Rui Hachimura will be unavailable with a calf injury, while Austin Reaves remains out with a grade 2 left gastrocnemius strain. Still, LeBron James and Luka Doncic will need to be defended against.</p> <h2>San Antonio Spurs vs Los Angeles Lakers: Betting Predictions</h2> <p>We like to look at the head-to-head between the two teams when making our San Antonio Spurs vs Los Angeles Lakers betting predictions, as we feel this can provide insights into what to expect.</p> <p>The Lakers are 3-2 over the last five. The teams share a win each this season:</p> <ul> <li> <p>Dec 2025: Lakers 119-132 Spurs</p> </li> <li> <p>Nov 2025: Lakers 118-116 Spurs</p> </li> </ul> <p>In this upcoming encounter, our San Antonio Spurs vs Los Angeles Lakers betting prediction is that the Spurs win. They have been exceptional against top teams so far, and with Wembanyama set to make his return, he’ll likely have a big game.</p> <p>We always look at player prop markets for NBA betting, focusing on value in the points markets. We think Wembanyama will score 15+ in this game, having scored 25+ in his three matches before the injury. Doncic to score 30+ is also a prediction, as he continues to be a machine.</p>