Oklahoma City Thunder vs San Antonio Spurs Picks and Prediction for Tuesday October 20 2026
Western Conference rivals will square off on NBA opening night, when the Oklahoma City Thunder visit the San Antonio Spurs. This will be the final game of a NBC tripleheader and will take place from the Frost Bank Center. Game-time will be 9:30 pm EST on Tuesday October 20, 2026. The Spurs are currently a 2.5 point favorite and the total is 231.5. Be ready for all of this season's NBA action with our free NBA picks.
Oklahoma City hungry to get back to the NBA Finals
The Oklahoma City Thunder won an NBA best 64 games last season, but fell a game short of making their second straight NBA Finals appearance. The Thunder (64-18) finished 20 games above .500 on the road and traded defensive stalwart Lu Dort to Atlanta in the offseason. Oklahoma City selected Michigan C Aday Mara with the 12th overall pick in the NBA Draft to match the elite big men in the conference.
All-Star G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished second behind Luka Doncic for the NBA scoring title with 31.1 points per game. The Thunder tied with Boston for the lowest turnover ratio (11.2) and finished fourth with a 56.1 effective field goal percentage. Oklahoma City hangs their hat on the defensive end of the floor and have led the league in defensive efficiency in consecutive seasons.
Oklahoma City Projected starting lineup
- G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- G Cason Wallace
- F Jalen Williams
- F Chet Holmgren
- C Isaiah Hartenstein
San Antonio has the brightest future
The San Antonio Spurs improved their win total last season by 28 games and capped it with an NBA Finals appearance. The Spurs (62-20) finished two games behind the Thunder for the top spot in the Western Conference, but had the last laugh in the conference finals. San Antonio has a talented, young core and will be a factor in the championship picture for years to come.
The key to the Spurs’ dramatic turnaround was on defense. Two seasons ago, San Antonio finished 25th in the league in defensive efficiency. The Spurs jumped to third in that category anchored by Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama, who became the first player to win the award with a unanimous vote. G Dylan Harper emerged in the postseason and should be the team’s second scoring option.
San Antonio Projected starting lineup
- G De'Aaron Fox
- G Stephon Castle
- F Dylan Harper
- F Tobias Harris
- C Victor Wembanyama
Oklahoma City Thunder vs San Antonio Spurs Picks and Prediction
Pick: Oklahoma City Thunder +2.5
Newly acquired San Antonio F Tobias Harris is dealing with a calf injury and his status for the season opener is uncertain. The Spurs ranked sixth in the league in rebounding rate and the Thunder finished 17th in that category. Oklahoma City has a healthy Jalen Williams back in the fold and will be motivated to get revenge. Take the Thunder to win on the road.
Pick: Under 231.5
These two teams ranked in the middle of the pack in tempo a season ago and the conference finals were played at an ever slower tempo. This matchup features two of the two three defensive units and the best defensive player in the league. Take the under.
Final Score Prediction: Oklahoma City Thunder 115-109