No Chris Paul no problem for the Phoenix Suns, who continue to win games despite the absence of their All-Star point guard. Paul is likely done for the remainder of the regular season, but the Suns have built a big enough lead in the overall standings winning 53 games before any other club has passed 45. The Suns close the week with a matchup against the struggling Los Angeles Lakers, who recently dropped a game to the worst team in the Western Conference. While the play-in tournament is a possibility for LA, their preseason aspirations of a NBA title have long since disappeared. The Lakers have dropped their last five games to the Suns, including a pair of double digit home losses this season.
Sunday’s game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns will air live on ESPN with tip off at 9 p.m. ET from Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ. BookMaker.eu will have betting options for every game on the NBA schedule.
NBA Odds at BookMaker.eu
Odds Analysis
The Lakers have had a difficult time doing anything right this season. They beat Utah prior to the All-Star break that should’ve created some momentum heading into the second half. Instead they dropped their first four games after the respite and have gone just 1-6 SU and 1-5-1 ATS. The newest low point took place on Wednesday in a 139-130 OT loss to the Rockets, who entered that game with the worst record in the NBA. That also extended LA’s road losing streak to nine while going 3-6 ATS. Following the Houston game the Lakers were 28-37 SU and 27-37-1 ATS.
If you thought the Suns might slip a bit with Paul out of the lineup you were right. They are 5-3 since CP3 was shelved with a thumb injury and they played a few of those games without leading scorer Devin Booker, who was sidelined with virus-related issues. So there .625 winning percentage since the break is a drop from their 48-10 (.827) record at the pause. Still, it’s a mark the Suns will happily take. And with Booker back in the lineup against Miami on Wednesday, the Suns dominated the East leaders, 111-90, as a 4-point dog. The Suns took two earlier meetings with the Lakers covering both times extending their SU and ATS winning streak to five over their division rival. The teams have cashed the UNDER in five of their previous six meetings, including both games this season.
Los Angeles Lakers
You know the Lakers are in trouble when they get big games from LeBron James and Russell Westbrook and still lose to Houston, their sixth setback in seven games and ninth loss in their last 11. James had 23 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists for his fifth triple-double and Westbrook had perhaps his best game as a Laker scoring 30 points on 11 of 21 shooting. Still it wasn’t enough with the team’s lack of depth a serious issue.
Defense has been a problem with James blaming the absence of Anthony Davis on their inability to defend the paint. The Lakers conceded at least 117 points six times during their current nine-game road losing streak with the OVER going 6-3 in that span.
Phoenix Suns
There’s a reason why the Suns have the best record in the NBA. They’ve been good at both ends of the floor owning the largest point differential at plus-7.9, which is more than a point better than the next closest team. And they’ve been able to fill the void left by Paul with a rotation of players. Booker has handled some point duties, but the Suns are getting contributions from Cam Payne, Landry Shamet and Aaron Holiday. They average over 113 points while shooting over 48 percent from the field.
They also get the job done on defense holding opponents to less than 106 points per game. And they defend the three-ball better than any team in the league. Opponents make just 33.3 percent of their triples. The Suns have locked down against the Lakers allowing more than 100 points just once over the last five games with the UNDER at 4-1.
Lakers at Suns NBA Odds Pick
The Suns are an all-around better team that just plays smart basketball. And they’re pretty good in their own barn, too. They have the most home wins in the NBA and they really want to beat the Lakers. It doesn’t matter that Paul is out of the lineup, the Suns will press defensively forcing mistakes, and the Lakers are used to turning the ball over. I just don’t see LA winning this game, but then I also had them losing to Golden State last week, so you never know.
NBA Odds Prediction: Phoenix Suns / UNDER
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
