Spurs vs. Thunder Betting Line – October 28

Carrie Stroup here with your Spurs vs. Thunder betting line for October 28 as the 2015-2016 NBA season kicks off.

SAN ANTONIO SPURS (0-0) at OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (0-0)

Sportsbook.ag Line: Oklahoma City -5, Total: 208.5

Two of the elite teams in the powerful NBA Western Conference will begin their 2015-16 campaigns on Wednesday when the Spurs visit the Thunder.

San Antonio (55-27 SU) was able to win 50 games for a 16th straight season in 2014-15, but failed to advance in the playoffs with a heart-breaking, first-round loss to the Clippers in seven games on a Chris Paul buzzer-beater. But the team expects to far exceed that result this season after bringing in high-priced All-Star PF LaMarcus Aldridge from Portland.

Oklahoma City will be playing its first game under new head coach Billy Donovan, who won two national titles at Florida. He takes over a team with two superstars in SF Kevin Durant and NBA scoring leader SG Russell Westbrook, and is looking to lead the club back to the postseason after the team fell short with a 45-37 record, ending a run of five straight playoff berths.

These teams met three times last season with the Thunder winning 114-106 at home on Christmas Day before the Spurs recorded a pair of blowouts in March (130-91) and April (113-88). San Antonio wasn't a great road wager last season at 23-22 ATS and was a dreadful 5-15-1 ATS with at least two days' rest.

Last season, Oklahoma City was a profitable bet at home (23-18 ATS) and loved the home underdog role too at 6-2 ATS. But this club also struggled when well-rested at 3-13 ATS with at least two off days.

Durant is still not fully recovered from foot surgery, but is expected to play on Wednesday night. Teammate C Mitch McGary (concussion) is also probable, but PF Enes Kanter is questionable with a sprained right ankle. The Spurs begin the season with no significant injuries.

San Antonio didn't have a whole lot of flaws last season with an offense that scored 103.2 PPG (7th in NBA) on 46.8% FG (3rd in league), 36.7% threes (6th in NBA) and 78.0% FT (4th in league). The club also dished out 24.4 APG (5th in NBA), but was weak on the offensive glass with only 9.8 offensive RPG (27th in league).

The defense was tough in holding teams to 97.0 PPG (3rd in NBA) on 44.4% FG (13th in league) with 5.4 BPG (8th in NBA) and 8.0 SPG (11th in league). The one negative is that the Spurs didn't defend the three-point arc very well and allowed teams to shoot 36.0% from downtown (24th in NBA).

An addition that will give a boost to the team's offensive numbers is PF LaMarcus Aldridge, who averaged 23.4 PPG and 10.2 RPG for the Blazers last season. In three games versus the Thunder, Aldridge scored 27.0 PPG on a subpar 41% FG, but added 9.3 RPG, 2.7 APG and 1.3 BPG.

Five players averaged double-figures for the Spurs last season, led by SF Kawhi Leonard (16.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG), who also won the Defensive Player of the Year Award with a league-high 2.3 SPG. Leonard averaged a team-high 20.0 PPG on 63% FG in two games versus the Thunder last season, while future Hall of Fame PF Tim Duncan (15.9 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 2.0 BPG) added 14.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG and 2.3 BPG over three meetings.

Another long-time star, PG Tony Parker (14.4 PPG, 4.9 APG), is feeling great entering his 15th season, saying he wants to play another five seasons until he's 38 years old. Parker averaged 11.0 PPG on 55% FG with 4.3 APG and 1.3 SPG in three meetings with Oklahoma City last season.

SGs Danny Green (11.7 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 42% threes) and Manu Ginobili (10.5 PPG, 4.2 APG, 1.0 SPG) were the other double-digit scorers for the Spurs last season and the duo combined for 19.3 PPG in last season's series with the Thunder, with Ginobili draining 50% FG (40% threes) and Green making 46% FG and 43% threes.

Oklahoma City's new head coach Billy Donovan inherits an offense that averaged a strong 105.0 PPG (5th in NBA), but made only 44.7% FG (18th in league), 33.9% threes (23rd in NBA) and 75.4% FT (14th in league). The Thunder were also too careless with the basketball (14.7 TOPG, 19th in NBA) and dished out only 20.5 APG (25th in league).

Defensively, they surrendered 101.8 PPG (24th in NBA) despite holding teams to 44.0% FG (9th in league) and 34.3% threes (10th in NBA). These shooting percentages benefited from 5.5 BPG (6th in league) and Oklahoma City didn't give up easy shots by dominating the glass with 47.5 RPG and 12.8 offensive RPG, both of which led the NBA.

SF Kevin Durant played only 27 games last season, but still averaged 25.4 PPG (51% FG, 40% threes), 6.6 RPG and 4.1 APG. He didn't face the Spurs once last season, but in the 2013-14 campaign, Durant dropped 26.3 PPG and 8.0 RPG in four meetings.

With Durant missing so much time, SG Russell Westbrook took it upon himself to shoot more and he wound up leading the NBA with 28.1 PPG on 43% FG and 30% threes while adding 8.6 APG, 7.3 RPG and a league-high 11 triple doubles. Westbrook also had great success against the Spurs last season with 22.3 PPG, 6.7 APG and a hefty 4.3 SPG.

PF Serge Ibaka also gave San Antonio fits last season with 21.0 PPG (53% FG) and 9.0 RPG, which were considerably higher than his season averages of 14.3 PPG (48% FG) and 7.8 RPG. One player the team is hoping has a big season is SG Andre Roberson, who averaged only 3.4 PPG in 19.1 MPG last season, but is the projected starter for the 2015-16 campaign.