Spread, over/under and prop bets for Tuesday’s Lakers-Suns game. The Suns are large home favorites.
The Lakers-Suns rivalry picks back up Tuesday night in the desert. In the recent history between these two teams, Phoenix has dominated Los Angeles.
All four meetings in the 2021-22 season went to the Suns and the closest scoring margin across those games was 10 points. The season prior, Phoenix sent L.A. home in six games in the first round of the playoffs.
Neither team will be at full strength for the first matchup of the year between these Pacific Division foes. The Lakers will be missing LeBron James (thigh) and the Suns will take the court without Chris Paul (heel).
Unsurprisingly, Phoenix is a sizable favorite on its home court, which it has defended extremely well, while Los Angeles is winless on the road.
Below is the betting breakdown for Lakers-Suns, complete with an against the spread pick, under/under selection and a prop bet.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Phoenix Suns Odds
Time: 10 p.m. ET (TNT)
Spread: Lakers +7.5 (-110) | Suns -7.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Lakers (+240) | Suns (-300)
Total: 228.5 — Over (-110) | Under (-110)
Lakers Betting Profile
Straight-Up Record: 5-10
Against the Spread Record: 5-10
Over/Under Record: 8-7
Points Per Game (Rank): 111.1 (19)
Points Allowed Per Game (Rank): 114.2 (19)
Suns Betting Profile
Straight-Up Record: 10-6
Against the Spread Record: 10-6
Over/Under Record: 7-8-1
Points Per Game (Rank): 115.1 (9)
Points Allowed Per Game (Rank): 107.9 (5)
Spread Bet: Suns -7.5 (-110)
The Lakers enter the desert the hottest they’ve been all season, which isn’t saying much, though they have won three in a row behind a trio of dominant outings from Anthony Davis. L.A.’s oft-injured big man had at least 30 points and 15 rebounds in each game and he’s probable (back) for Tuesday’s contest. If healthy, he’ll be a handful for Deandre Ayton down low.
Beyond Davis, Lonnie Walker IV has played well of late and Russell Westbrook is getting more and more comfortable coming off the bench—he has four straight double-doubles. But the Lakers’ 0-5 road record and 2-3 mark against the spread is working against them in one of the hardest arenas to win over the last few years.
Phoenix hasn’t missed a beat without Paul, mainly due to the strong play of Devin Booker and Cameron Payne’s admirable performance in the starting lineup in Paul’s absence. Booker is on his way to the best scoring season of his career, as is Payne, who already has four 20-point games to his name.
The Suns are 8-1 at the Footprint Center so far this season and six of those wins have been by double-digits, including their last two against the Knicks and Warriors within the past week. I expect them to put an end to the Lakers’ run this evening behind a big game from Booker and their superior shooting.
Over/Under Bet: Over 228.5 (-110)
Both L.A. and Phoenix have played in some high-scoring contests lately. Three of the last five games for each team have hit the over and both teams have seen totals reach the 240-point mark at least once in the last week.
Considering both over/under records are right around the .500 mark, in this case I lean over even with Phoenix’s defensive reputation. Plus, the last two meetings between these teams last season both surpassed 230 total points.
Prop Bet: Cameron Payne Over 17.5 Points (-125)
Payne is averaging 17.9 ppg in November and he has gone over this figure in four of his last eight games. He shoots better than 42% on more than five three-point attempts per game and with a bump in minutes and opportunities, he’s made the best of his expanded role, even if it is temporary.
The Lakers’ defense will be keyed in on Booker as the primary scoring threat, which should free up Payne for a few spot-up shots to allow him to hit this total.
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