NBA Betting – Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Lakers
It’s been a while since a matchup between the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers actually meant something for both teams. The Western Conference standings are tight at the top with the Suns just a game behind the Lakers for the second spot. Both clubs have won two in a row with LA snapping back to form after a four-game slide dropped them closer to the middle of the pack. The Pacific Division rivals are playing for the first time this season with the Lakers having won three straight and seven of the last eight games in the head-to-head matchup. Bookmaker.eu offers a generous CASH welcome bonus (max CASH bonus $1600)
Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Lakers
Date and Time: Tuesday, March 2, 2021, 10 p.m. ET
Location: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Opening NBA Odds: Lakers -1.5, O/U 215.5
Suns at Lakers TV Coverage: TNT
Odds Analysis
The Suns have made the jump to being a player in the West. Winners in two straight and five of the last six going 5-1 ATS, they are firmly entrenched in the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference. They finish up a three-game road trip having gone 7-1 SU and ATS in their last eight roadies. One of the keys to their success in the first half has been their play on the road. The Suns are 11-5 SU and ATS in away games. Their latest victim was Minnesota, 118-99, covering the 10.5-point closing line. Every team will experience some adversity over the course of a long season. Even the best ones aren’t immune. A recent four-game losing streak, punctuated by a 25-point loss to the NBA best Jazz had critics slamming the Lakers. They were 0-4 ATS in that stretch, but to put things in perspective they were without two starters. The Lakers didn’t allow the slump to consume them instead showing off their dominance against middling teams Portland and Golden State. The latter in a game that wasn’t as close as the 117-91 score. The Lakers have won five in a row at home over the Suns all by at least 10 points going 4-1 ATS.
Phoenix Suns
The Suns have passed a number of tests this season and they face another one on Tuesday with their first tilt this season against the defending champs. As we approach the All-Star break it’s safe to say they are a legitimate playoff contender. They are putting the pressure on the top teams in the West by winning their last two games, five out of six and 11 of 13. A loss to Oklahoma City on Jan. 27 was their third in a row dropping them to 8-8. However, since that setback they’ve been on fire. Starting with a 21-point win over Golden State, they are 14-3 SU and ATS.
Tuesday’s matchup is one the Suns are looking forward to. They overcame a sluggish start to win at Minnesota on Sunday getting 43 points from Devin Booker, who has been the catalyst for an offense that’s scored at least 120 point in seven of the last 10 games. Booker leads the team averaging 25.5 points. “He can score. He can pass. He can do everything I hope he will continue to play like this because we will win the games,” teammate Dario Saric said of Booker. The Suns have dialed up the defense, too, holding a second straight opponent to under 100 points. They are sixth in the NBA in defensive efficiency.
Los Angeles Lakers
Perspective is a wonderful thing. Having it makes you more enlightened and able to see beyond what is actually happening. Of course not everything can be put in perspective, but the Lakers recent skid sure can. Losers of four straight and five of six games, the recent skid had to do with the Lakers being without Anthony Davis and Dennis Schroeder. Take one starter out of a rotation and things become difficult. Take out two and the entire makeup of the roster changes. Players are put in different spots and asked to do different things on the court. Even a team as good as the Lakers will have some blowback.
In the short term it’s tough to deal with the injuries. In the long run the Lakers will probably be better off with role players getting extended minutes and creating more cohesion among the group. LeBron James is the glue and he’s having another stellar campaign. But the return of Schroeder last week helped the Lakers end their slide with a 102-93 win over Portland. Schroeder scored 22 points after missing the previous four games due to the league’s health and safety protocols. “To have him back in our lineup just means so much to our team. It was big time,” James said of his teammate’s return.
Bet Suns at Lakers at BookMaker.eu
This isn’t the same Suns team LA has dominated recently. And with Phoenix nipping at their heels you can bet the Lakers are well aware of that. Now that the monkey is off their back look for LA to dial up the defensive pressure like they’ve done all season. The Suns may be on the rise, but it’s still the Lakers time.
NBA Score Prediction: Lakers 109, Suns 102
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- Phil Simon, Gambling911.com
