Lakers vs Suns Game 2 Pick: Don’t Count on the Bounce Back
The odds told you it might happen. When we first noticed the Suns were the favorites in game one of the series, we knew something was not quite right. After all the Lakers were the favorite to win it all and the Suns had yet to prove their playoff worth. That changed in game one as the Suns had a dominating win over LA to take a 1-0 series lead. Now as you make your Lakers vs Suns game 2 pick, it may be easy to believe that the Lakers will ties the series up with a win, but buyer beware.
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Odds Adjustment
The sportsbooks are assuming that the public would be coming in heavy with bets on the Lakers adjusted the odds accordingly. The Suns were (-2.5) point favorites in the first game, but now heading into game two the Lakers are now the favorites at (-2.5). This adjustment is normal in the playoffs and happens quite often. Basketball betting fans usually like to employ the zigzag theory which calls for a bet to be made on the team that lost in game one when they take to the floor in game two. This looks more tempting when you see that the Lakers are 9-4-1 against the spread (ATS) after a straight-up loss.
Who’s Your Pick?
Lakers -2.5
Suns +2.5
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Two Big Questions
Before placing a bet on this game there are two questions that must be addressed.
Is Chris Paul ok?
Suns superstar Chris Paul suffered a shoulder contusion in game one, but he played through the pain. Paul is the leader on the floor and he set the tone in game one with his physical play and his attack on both ends of the court.
Monty Williams on Chris Paul’s shoulder: “He’s nowhere near as sore as he was yesterday, but he’s still sore.” Williams says that Paul will play Game 2, barring an unexpected setback.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) May 24, 2021
Paul is still sore, but he will be on the court for game two. It is still uncertain how effective he will be with his ailment.
Will Anthony Davis show up?
There is every reason to believe that Anthony Davis will have a much better game this time out. If Davis just had a bad game it would be one thing, but it is uncertain if he is at 100 percent as he recovers from an injury. AD needs to have a big game for the Lakers to succeed. He shot 5 of 16 from the floor, but the major concern is a lackluster play on defense.
Lakers vs Suns Game 2 Pick
The Lakers have more issues than AD. The entire team shot way too many threes and seemed to play at the Suns pace, which is not where they excel. The Lakers had no answer for Devin Booker who dominated on offense. Booker split all the doubles, finding the open teammate for points and the Lakers defense were late on rotations. Let’s make it clear; the Lakers do not have a guard that can handle Booker.
The Lakers got the benefit of the calls as they were awarded more free throws than the Suns by a wide margin. The Sun’s crowd made a true difference in the game and the Lakers are just 2-6-1 ATS in the last nine road games.
Finally, the Suns have a 32-22-1 record against the number this year when they play as at least a 2-point underdog. Phoenix has covered 11 of 15 ATS as an underdog and they get another win to take a 2-0 lead and send Lakers Nation into panic mode.