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Lakers vs Suns Predictions & Odds (Nov. 22)
By Eric Rosales in NBA Basketball
Published:
- The Los Angeles Lakers are 7-point road underdogs when they visit the Suns
- Phoenix is tied for the best record in the NBA, while LA is winless on the road this year
- Read below for the Lakers vs Suns preview, with odds and predictions
After smacking around a few pretenders, the Los Angeles Lakers (5-10, 0-7 road) get a look at a real contender, when they visit the Phoenix Suns (10-6, 8-1 home).
With LeBron James (adductor) out the last four games and likely missing his fifth straight, LA has been buoyed by a dominating stretch of play from Anthony Davis.
Phoenix could be down Chris Paul (heel) as well, which would make it seven straight DNP’s.
Could that injury swing the tide in this series? The Suns have reeled off seven straight wins against the Lakers, counting both the regular season and playoffs.
It’s part of the reason the NBA odds have the Suns as 7-point favorites against an LA side that’s yet to win on the road.
Lakers vs Suns Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Lakers | +7 (-110) | +250 | OFF |
| Phoenix Suns | -7 (-110) | -300 | OFF |
Odds as of Nov 21 at DraftKings. Claim the DraftKings Sportsbook promo code to bet on the Lakers vs Suns game.
It all gets underway Tuesday (Nov 22) at 10pm ET from the Footprint Center, in a game that can be seen live on TNT.
Los Angeles Betting Outlook
LeBron James out of the lineup has usually meant death for any of his teams. So far, the Lakers have gone 3-1 in the four games he’s missed.
Much of that has been the play of Davis, who’s doing it while still dealing with a sore lower back. His latest game was another standout, dropping 30 points and 18 rebounds in a 123-92 evisceration of the Spurs.
He’s now put up 30 & 15 in three straight games, joining an elite group of Lakers who’ve reached those highs: Elgin Baylor and Shaquille O’Neal. Prior to this stretch, AD hadn’t crossed 30 points in a game this season.
Anthony Davis led the LeBron-less Lakers to their 3rd win in a row with 30 PTS (63% FG) 18 REB, 3 STL in just 28 MINS!
“Everybody's confidence is very high, while not getting too high."
AD's last 3 Games 🔥
35 PTS (62% FG), 17.3 REB, 1.7 BLK, 1.3 STL pic.twitter.com/J3jDMy8ypU— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) November 21, 2022
He’s helped mask LA’s futility from distance — still a league-worst 31.2% shooting from three — by doing much of his damage inside. The Lakers are second in the NBA in points in the paint at 56.5 per game.
Russell Westbrook put up another double-double off the bench against San Antonio, with 10 points and 10 assists — the fourth straight game he’s topped 10+ dimes. He did, however, suffer a thumb injury, but x-rays were negative, so he should be a go.
Phoenix Betting Outlook
After dropping three of their previous four, the Suns found their defensive form in a 116-95 thumping of the visiting New York Knicks. It was the first time in six games they’d been able to hold a team under 100 points.
This is a team that ranks fifth in scoring defense, holding teams to 107.9 points per game. If they do have a weakness, it’s defending the three-point line: teams are shooting 38.4% from distance, the 4th-worst mark in the league.
Cam Payne has stepped up serving as the Suns starting PG in P3's absence:
☀️ 20.2 PPG
☀️ 6.3 APG
☀️ 3.7 RPG
☀️ 45.7% FG
☀️ 45.5% 3PT
☀️89.5% FT#WeAreTheValley #NBA
pic.twitter.com/DPItKGBork— OutOfSightSports🚀™️ (@OOSSports) November 21, 2022
Offensively, Cam Payne has found his footing in the starting lineup without Paul. He had a team-high 21 points, to go along with seven rebounds and nine assists. In the last six games without Paul, he’s averaged 20.2 points and 6.3 assists, and has gone for 20+ in four games.
That takes some of the pressure off all-star Devin Booker, who’s averaged 28.3 points and just over seven assists over his last six. He had 20 points and five boards against New York, while drilling 5-for-8 from downtown.
The Suns are a top-10 team in scoring, field-goal and three-point shooting.
Lakers vs Suns Prediction
Phoenix hasn’t let up on LA since taking three straight in a playoff series win in 2021.
Davis said that if he didn’t get hurt, LA would have won that series. The Suns took that personal, sweeping the regular season series last year, with an average margin of victory of 17.3 points across those four games.
Overall, the Suns are 6-1 against the spread in the last seven head-to-head matchups.
LA’s three-game streak has come against teams with losing records, who are currently a combined 17 games under .500.
The Lakers are 0-5 ATS in their last five on the road, and 0-4 ATS against teams with a winning record.
If Davis can maintain his high level of play, the Lakers could be able to hang with the Suns, but they’re going to have to show something first before I believe it. The Suns share the best home record in the NBA, and have a dominating 13.1 point differential.
Pick:
- Suns -7 (-110); 1 unit to win 0.91 units
- NBA Betting Record: 8-7 ATS, 1-0 ML, 2-2 o/u; 0-1 parlays; +0.71 units
Eric Rosales
Sports Writer & Editor
Having worked in and around sports since 1997, Eric is truly a knowledgeable expert. The two-time journalism grad specializes in all things NBA and NFL. From TSN.ca to CTV's Olympic Broadcast Consortium, Eric's work has appeared in local and national publications alike.
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