The Phoenix Suns were the second-best team in the Western Conference all season long, and their reward for that was a first round matchup with the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.
Will Los Angeles flex its muscle and win Game 1 on the road? Find out in our best free NBA betting picks and predictions for Lakers vs. Suns on May 23 at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Lakers vs Suns game info
• Location: Phoenix Suns Arena, Phoenix, AZ
• Date: Sunday, May 23, 2021
• Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
• TV: ABC
Lakers vs Suns odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
Compare NBA odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
NBA Sharp Money and Line Movement Report
By Patrick EversonAs of 2:45 p.m. ET, about 45 minutes before tipoff, the Suns are 2.5-point favorites at TwinSpires Sportsbook, after opening -3. The Lakers are attracting 74 percent of tickets and 78 percent of money on the spread. "The Lakers are our biggest liability of the day," TwinSpires trading analyst Zachary Lucas said. The total inched from 213 to 213.5, with 59 percent of tickets/54 percent of cash on the Over.
Check out the full line movement for this gameLakers vs Suns series odds
Lakers: -168
Suns: +136
Lakers vs Suns betting preview
Injuries
Lakers: No injuries to report.
Suns: F Cam Johnson (Probable), F Abdel Nader (Out)
Find our latest NBA injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Lakers are 1-4 ATS in their last five games. Find more NBA betting trends for Lakers vs. Suns.
Against the spread (ATS) pick
The Lakers opened as -300 favorites to win this series, but it has since moved in a big way. The reality is that the Suns are a very good basketball team, even if the Lakers are a lot better than a normal seven seed. Everybody is quick to choose Los Angeles in this series, and that is certainly understandable. But counting Phoenix out isn’t fair to a team that was sixth in the league in both offensive and defensive rating during the regular season. This is going to be a highly competitive series, and all of these games will be close.
Game 1 should favor the Suns, and the same might go for Game 2, as LeBron James is still working his way back from an ankle injury. He did hit a massive game-winning triple against the Warriors in the play-in tournament — and had a triple-double in that game — but he looked slow throughout a majority of that contest, and he doesn’t appear to have his normal explosiveness at the moment. Until some of that comes back, the Suns might be able to get away with sticking Mikal Bridges on him and not sending any help.
Phoenix has also had one of the best home crowds throughout the course of this odd year, which is part of the reason that the Suns went 27-9 SU and 23-13 ATS at home. These fans will be fired up with this being their first playoff appearance in a long time, and the Suns should feed off of that.
It’s also worth noting that Devin Booker has been waiting for this opportunity for a long, long time. The All-Star is every bit as good as guys like Donovan Mitchell and Jamal Murray, who have both had their playoff moments already. If Los Angeles sticks Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on him and doesn’t have any sort of help being sent in that direction, Booker could go for at least 30. His game is perfectly suited for the postseason, when tough buckets in the midrange become crucial.
PREDICTION: Suns -2.5 (-110)
Over/Under pick
The Suns were one of the best defensive teams in basketball in the first half of the year, and they ended up settling in as the sixth best when the regular season was over. Phoenix definitely slipped on that end of the floor towards the end of the year, but that defensive identity is in there and should manifest itself during the postseason. That’s especially true against this Los Angeles team.
The Lakers play at a slow pace and are probably the best defensive team in basketball, when healthy. This series should be something of a slugfest, with both teams locking in and defending at a high level. And both teams play something of a throwback style offensively. The Suns definitely space the floor well, but the best players in this series are guys that either do most of their work in the midrange or around the basket. There should be more Unders than Overs, and the total seems a bit too high for Game 1.
PREDICTION: Under 212 (-110)
Player prop pick
This game might not be all that high scoring, but somebody is going to come out and lead this thing in scoring. Booker should be the one to do it. While Anthony Davis also has a decent shot, it’s Booker that will be relied on a bit heavier in this first game.
Chris Paul will likely see a lot of Alex Caruso in this series, and that’s a relatively tough matchup. Caruso is a great perimeter defender, and that might mean that the Suns will have to go to Booker a bit more often.
Booker only averaged 21.3 points per game against the Lakers during the regular season, but we know he’s capable of giving them a lot more.
PREDICTION: Devin Booker Top Scorer (+150)
Lakers vs Suns betting card
- Suns -2.5 (-110)
- Under 212 (-110)
- Devin Booker Top Scorer (+150)
Picks made on 5/21/2021 at 6:40 p.m. ET
Did you know that if you parlayed today’s NBA Lakers vs. Suns picks, you could win $81.12 on a $10 bet?
Use our NBA parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
Where can I bet on the NBA?
You can bet on NBA odds at every online and casino sportsbook, including NBA moneylines, spreads, Over/Under totals, and a ton of NBA prop odds. Head over to our best sportsbooks for NBA betting in your area.
