The NBA season is officially underway and the second-week slate carries on with an in-season tournament matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns. Our NBA odds series continues with a Lakers-Suns prediction and pick.
Starting the season out on a good note with a 3-2 start, the Los Angeles Lakers have since stumbled over the past week. Currently on a three-game losing streak, the Lakers' most recent loss came at the hands of the Houston Rockets. Although Rui Hachimura put up an impressive 24 points on 10-14 shooting from the field, the Lakers were blown out from start to finish. The Lakers did not outscore the Rockets in a single quarter and ended up with their biggest margin of defeat of the year. This 34-point blowout has fans concerned for this team, so they will look to put these doubts to rest with a dominant showing on the road in Phoenix.
On the other hand, the Phoenix Suns stumbled out the gate but have since recovered nicely. They are on a two-game win streak, and most importantly, they watched Bradley Beal make his season debut on this road trip. Unfortunately, it was not the best performance. In 24 minutes of play, he went 3-12 from the field, 0-6 from two-point territory, and could not see the court in overtime. However, easing back into play is a significant positive for this organization, and hopefully, we will see him debut in Phoenix on Friday night.
Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Lakers-Suns Odds
Los Angeles Lakers: +2.5 (-110)
Phoenix Suns: -2.5 (-110)
Over: 224.5 (-110)
Under: 224.5 (-110)
How to Watch Lakers vs. Suns
Time: 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT
TV: ESPN
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Lakers Could Cover The Spread
This game will come down to what the Suns lack rather than what the Lakers possess. For instance, the Phoenix Suns have two members of their highly touted big three listed on the injury report. Although Beal was able to make his season debut on Wednesday night, as previously mentioned, he was unable to suit up in the overtime period. Even more concerning is the fact that Devin Booker has played in just two of Phoenix's eight games due to a calf injury. Facing this significant gap in production plays well in the Lakers' favor. Especially considering the Lakers made it a point this offseason to bolster their depth. In their most recent game, they had 40 bench points and will look for this depth to continue to pay off against a depleted Suns team.
Coming into this season, the Suns were banking on Booker and Beal to take the reins at the point guard position. Since these two have missed more than 75% of games, it has left a significant void in the backcourt. This has resulted in the Suns averaging the third-most turnovers per game at 17.3. In the first matchup between these teams this season, the Lakers forced 20 turnovers on the Suns. Look for more of the same, especially if the Suns are without their two All-Stars.
Why The Suns Could Cover The Spread
Similarly, as to why the Lakers can cover, what will determine Phoenix's ability to cover will come down to the Lakers' weaknesses. Basing this game on the Lakers trends this season, the Suns should cover the spread with ease. Los Angeles enters this game 0-5 on the road, 1-4 against the spread on the road, and 2-6 against the spread overall. This poor ability to perform is shocking for a team that made the Western Conference Finals a season ago and only got better during the off-season. Hopefully, for the Suns, this alarming trend for Los Angeles will continue.
Poor offensive play has led to this inability to cover for the Lakers. Los Angeles currently averages the ninth fewest points per game at only 109.0. While that may have been great a decade ago, that won't cut it in the modern NBA. This Lakers offense has stagnated, and poor three-point shooting is the primary cause. LeBron James and company are averaging the second-fewest made three-pointers in the league and the worst three-point field goal percentage at an awful 29.6%. As one of the better mid-range and three-point shooting teams, the Suns will likely run circles around the Lakers in this department.
Final Lakers-Suns Prediction & Pick
Unfortunately, in this matchup of Western Conference heavyweights, injuries are the name of the game. As of right now, Booker, Beal, Anthony Davis, and Jaxson Hayes are all listed as questionable. Each team depends on these guys to perform night in and night out, so it will be tough sledding without them. Although the Suns have the more significant injuries, considering this matchup will take place in Phoenix, I am leaning toward the Suns. Kevin Durant has been phenomenal all season and will remain a constant in this game. It is tough to go with the Lakers because it appears they have taken a page out of the Golden State Warriors book from their road games last season. Give me the Suns at home in this one.
Final Lakers-Suns Prediction & Pick: Phoenix Suns -2.5 (-110)
Follow Us
Subscribe