NBA Basketball: Phoenix Suns VS Los Angeles Lakers Pick and Predictions 03/22/2023

Game: 10:10 PM ET, Wednesday, March 22nd, 2023

Venue: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California

TV:  ESPN

Suns: 38-33, 4th place Western Conference

Lakers: 35-37, 11th place Western Conference

BetMGM:  Point Spread: Suns -1.5, O/U 229.5 

PointsBet: Point Spread: Suns -1, O/U 229.5 

Fanduel: Point Spread:  Suns -1, O/U 229.5 

Suns: PG Chris Paul, SG Devin Booker, SF Josh Okogie, SF Torrey Craig, C Jock Landale

Lakers: PG D’Angelo Russell, SG Malik Beasley, SF Troy Brown JR, PF Jarred Vanderbilt, C Anthony Davis

You have heard the chants… if you have ever been to a live game in any sport where a Los Angeles team was present… at some point someone started chanting “Beat LA.. Beat LA”... That won’t happen in this game because the Lakers are the home team… but the chant should be ringing in the ears of every Phoenix Suns player!  Tonight’s Western Conference matchup is the late game on ESPN: The Suns (4th place) vs The Lakers (11th place)... and if the Suns do not want to run into the Lakers with a healthy LeBron and a potentially healthy Anthony Davis in the Playoffs?.. They will have to do their part to keep the Lakers out of the NBA Play In tournament.  That can only be accomplished by handing them a loss. If the Lakers win while the Jazz or the Timberwolves lose tonight?.. The Lakers jump up in the standings… and if they keep winning they keep jumping up!  The only goal the Suns should have from the time they get on the plane in Phoenix to the final whistle in Los Angeles is to give the Lakers a loss.  The great betting opportunity here is found only in the spread… and a little in the injury list.

The Phoenix Suns have won 5 of their last 10 games.  They have been floundering since they lost SF Kevin Durant to injury (possibly until the playoffs start).. To make matters worse they traded SF Mikal Bridges to get Durant (among other stuff).. Which leaves the Suns very thin at the moment… To make matters even worse the Suns will also be missing C Deandre Ayton.  They lost their last game to the OKC Thunder 124-120.. As C Bismack Biyombo and SF Torrey Craig (the reserves posing as starters only managed 7 points apiece… SG Devin Booker hauled in 46 BIG POINTS.. While PG Chris Paul had 14 points and 13 assists… But against the Lakers those two guys will need help.  It is very head scratching why Terrance Ross didn’t get the nod at SF.. and it is very interesting that 6’9 SF Darius Bazley is hardly ever even put on the court? 

The Los Angeles Lakers have won 6 of their last 10 games.  With only 9 games left on the season they need to win 5-6 of them to be secure in a postseason shot.  They went 5-5 ATS during the last 10 games.  The Lakers are 8th in the league on offense… It’s the defense that needs care and proper attention as they are 21st while allowing 116.8 points per game.  They won their last game against the Orlando Magic (but lost ATS) 111-105. In the win they got 35 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists from Bench G/F Austin Reeves… he accomplished those stats in 30 minutes while splitting time at two positions. Austin has hit the mountaintop as a Laker fan favorite as he went undrafted out of college three years ago and keeps raising his game… barring injury he will likely be in the league another decade with many millions of dollars to come his way. That is part of the problem with the Lakers.. An undrafted 3rd year player keeps outperforming the collection of pretty good guys they are trying to integrate into a cohesive unit?

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Our prediction for Wednesday, March 22nd is….  Suns 119 - Lakers 110

Bet on the Suns.  The game is practically a coin flip as the spread is definitely low… It is in moments like this the Lakers have disappointed all season long. This is the game they need.. This is a statement game… It is not Orlando… That is why the Lakers are most likely to disappoint.  

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The Suns are 5-2 ATS versus Lakers in Los Angeles the last 3 seasons.

The Suns are 21-9 ATS after a loss of 6 points or less the last 3 seasons.

The Lakers are 11-20 ATS at home when the line is +3 to -3 the last 3 seasons.

Suns: PG Chris Paul.  Chris is a leader first and foremost.  Yes he is one of the best points guards to ever play in the league… yes, he has a drastically bad playoff history… But big games in the regular season? He is a cutthroat killer.

Lakers: SF/SG Austin Reeves.. Former High School and college ball legend.  Austin went undrafted because he is a little too small… does not look like a world class athlete… and a little too slow. However in the pros he is doing everything he has always done… he is wildly creative in the passing game and scores in game changing bunches.  The Lakers will screw this up by starting Austin.. That is a mistake… Just keep playing him 30 minutes off the bench and they will get the same results… add him to the starting lineup and he will be a defensive liability.

Suns: Monty “all class” Williams

Lakers: Darvin “Hammy” Ham