Suns vs Lakers Prediction, Picks & Odds for Today’s NBA Game

The Lakers look rough around the edges without The King, and Phoenix will pick up a much-needed win.

Chris Faria - Betting Analyst at Covers.com
Chris Faria • Betting Analyst
Mar 16, 2025 • 11:45 ET • 4 min read
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This article contains predictions for an old game!

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Photo By - Imagn Images. Kevin Durant slides by his defender.

The Los Angeles Lakers are in the midst of a four-game slide, and things won’t get much easier this afternoon when they welcome the Phoenix Suns to Crypto.com Arena.

Phoenix is still the slight dog, but I’ll explain why I expect the visitors to come out on top in my Suns vs Lakers predictions and NBA picks for Sunday, March 16.

Suns vs Lakers prediction

My best bet: Suns moneyline (+125 at bet365)

My analysis
The Los Angeles Lakers dropped their fourth straight game on Friday in a 131-126 loss to the Denver Nuggets. Luka Doncic (calf) sat out that game but is expected to be in the lineup this afternoon, while LeBron James (groin) will miss his fourth straight contest.

The Lakers have held their own without LeBron this season, going 3-4 without their leading scorer, although three of those defeats have come in their last three games.

The issue for Los Angeles this afternoon will be keeping up with the scoring of Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, who generally give the Phoenix Suns about 50 or 55 points a game.

The hosts can rely on Doncic — who put up 45 points in his last appearance on Thursday against the Milwaukee Bucks — but outside of him there are question marks. Austin Reaves scored 37 on Friday but has been extremely hot-and-cold, scoring 17 points or fewer in four of his last six games. 

Phoenix has also taken four of the last five meetings against Los Angeles, while the Suns have gone 5-1 ATS in their last six games.

Suns vs Lakers same-game parlay

Suns moneyline

Kevin Durant 25+ points

Luka Doncic 30+ points

A Suns win will be heavily contingent on a strong showing from Kevin Durant, and 25 points should be well within reach for the 36-year-old veteran. Durant is averaging 26.6 ppg in March and has recorded 25+ points in six of his last nine contests.

Luka Doncic will need to carry the offensive load for the Lakers and has been happy to do so lately. The Lakers star has dropped 30+ in four of his last five and should get plenty of touches with LeBron out.

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

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Suns vs Lakers odds

Suns vs Lakers live odds

Suns vs Lakers opening odds

  • Spread: Phoenix +3.5 | Los Angeles -3.5
  • Moneyline: Phoenix +140 | Los Angeles -170
  • Over/Under: Over 232.5 | Under 232.5

Odds courtesy of bet365

Suns vs Lakers spread and Over/Under analysis

  • The Lakers opened as 4-point home favorites but we’ve seen that number slide as low as 2.5 ahead of tip off due to strong betting trends in favour of the Suns.
  • The Lakers are 1-3 ATS in their last four games while the Suns are 5-1 ATS in their last six contests.
  • The total opened at 231.5 points but dipped as low as 238.5 ahead of tip off with the Under going 5-1 in the last six meetings. The Under is also 3-0 in Phoenix’s last three games. 

Suns vs Lakers trend

The Phoenix Suns have hit the first-half moneyline in 22 of their last 36 away games (+11.95 Units / 23% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Suns vs. Lakers.

How to watch Suns vs Lakers

Location Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
Date Sunday, 3-16-2025
Tip-off 3:30 p.m. ET
TV ABC, ESPN+

Suns vs Lakers latest injuries

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Chris Faria - Covers
Betting Analyst

After writing a few pieces for the Varsity newspaper during his time at the University of Toronto, Chris Faria's career in sports truly began in 2019 when he attended the sports journalism program at Centennial College. Since then, he’s covered virtually every sport under the sun, having written for several different outlets including Covers and the Canadian Olympic Committee. A lifelong hockey fan and player, Chris currently works full-time for the National Hockey League.

Outside of hockey, he’s also an avid poker player and mixed martial arts fan, which is coincidentally his favorite sport to bet on – usually in the form of a parlay on bet365. The main lesson he’s learned from years of betting is bankroll management: "Never bet more than you’re comfortable losing and never chase your losses."

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