Lakers vs. Suns: Betting Odds, Prediction, Schedule For Playoff Series

The No. 2 seed Phoenix Suns and No. 7 seed Los Angeles Lakers are set to go head-to-head in the first round of the NBA playoffs. The defending champion Lakers clinched a playoff berth by defeating the Golden State Warriors in the play-in tournament to set up this best-of-seven series.

Who’s Favored?

Los Angeles is making history by becoming the first No. 7 seed to be favored in the first round. The Lakers have -150 odds at FanDuel Sportsbook, though they opened as even bigger favorites when the matchup became official. The Suns are +122 underdogs with home-court advantage.

Players To Watch

LeBron James is still the league’s best player when healthy, though it’s not quite clear whether he’s close to 100% shortly after returning from a high ankle sprain. Anthony Davis had 42 points and 12 rebounds in a win over the Suns on May 9. Devin Booker enters his first postseason scoring 30-plus points in seven of Phoenix’s last 12 games. Chris Paul’s impact in his first year with the Suns goes way beyond his stats, making him a potential top-five MVP finisher.

Series Schedule

The Lakers visit the Suns at 3:30 p.m. ET Sunday to kick off the series. Los Angeles is set to host its first game of the series Thursday night. A potential Game 7 would be played on June 5 in Phoenix.

Prediction

As long as James and Davis can stay on the court, the Lakers should win this series. Los Angeles has the NBA’s best defense. In the last 15 games, the Suns rank 26th in defensive efficiency.

Lakers over Suns in six