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The Phoenix Suns have dedicated themselves to a youth movement late in the season, and while this is still a rebuilding roster, the young players are starting to pay dividends. The Suns have been hot of late behind their youthful core and will aim for another victory against the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Suns have a slightly better record than the Lakers and have the home court advantage. There seems to be little doubt Phoenix will be favored by a handful of points in this matchup.
Los Angeles has struggled badly of late and will aim to get out of that rut, but it sits in last place in the Western Conference currently and will need to have a good game to pull off the upset.
This war on the floor will go down Thursday, March 9, 2017, at 10:30 p.m. ET at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. The game will be televised live on TNT.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Thursday schedule.
Odds Analysis
The Lakers are 19-44 straight up and 27-34-2 against the spread. Los Angeles has played in 33 road games this season and has covered in 15 of them. The Lakers are 22-27-1 against the spread as the underdogs on the year.
The Suns are 21-42 straight up and 32-30-1 against the spread. Phoenix has played in 31 home games and has covered in 17 of them. The Suns have only been the favorite in 10 games this season and have covered in three of them. They hope to improve whole giving points in this one.
Key Stat
Two. That’s how many games separate these two teams in the standings. The Suns and the Lakers round out the bottom of the NBA’s Western Conference, occupying the last and second-to-last spots.
The Suns enter this week on a three-game winning streak with a record of 21-42. The Lakers have lost seven in a row and have won 19 game this season.
With the playoff hopes for both teams out of reach, it would actually be beneficial for each team to lose this game in order to get a better draft pick. The focus has already shifted to next season for the Suns and Lakers, and any improvement in odds to get the top pick is big.
Player to Watch
Tyler Ulis -- The Suns rookie had his best game of the season against the Celtics on Sunday, finishing with 20 points in his team’s 109-106 win over Boston. He got a steal and hit a three-pointer as time expired, marking his most memorable moment as a pro. Ulis also had 14 points and seven assists against Oklahoma City last week.
Ulis was a standout at Kentucky last season, averaging 17.3 points and seven assists a game. The 21-year-old is looking to make his mark on the next level now.
The Suns have only used Ulis sparingly this season and he’s recorded just a handful of games where he has scored in double digits. If he continue to make an impact like he has the last couple of games, however, the young point guard should see increased playing time.
Free NBA ATS Pick
The Suns are finding a groove behind Ulis and other youngsters like Devin Booker and Marquese Chriss. The Lakers are just as young and also have some talented young players, but it has not worked out as well of late.
Phoenix dominated the Lakers by more than 30 points recently, and while this one should be closer, expect the Suns to win once again. The over-under figures to be pretty high as neither of these teams play defense particularly well.
This one could be a track meet, with Booker in line to lead the way to the Suns’ victory.
NBA Odds: Suns 117, Lakers 111
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