Article courtesy OddsShark (@OddsShark)
The Los Angeles Lakers are 6-3 straight up and against the spread in their last nine road games against the Phoenix Suns. The Lakers will be in the underdog role when they take on the Suns in Game 5 on Tuesday night.
Los Angeles is a five-point underdog on the NBA odds in Phoenix at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com (how the point spread works). The Suns are 44-17 SU and 35-24-2 ATS as a betting favorite this season.
Lakers vs. Suns | OddsShark Matchup Report
LeBron James did what he could on Sunday night with 25 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, but in the end the Lakers fell short in a 100-92 loss in Game 4. Anthony Davis was ineffective in the 19 minutes he played going only 2-for-9 from the floor with six points before he was forced to leave the game with a groin injury. Davis has been downgraded to doubtful for Game 5, putting the Lakers in a precarious situation with only three games left in this series.
The Lakers are just 5-17 SU and 8-14 ATS as a betting underdog this season per the OddsShark NBA Database.
What a difference a single game can make. Chris Paul had scored only 20 total points through his first three games of this series before racking up 18 points and nine assists in Sunday’s win. Six different Suns scored at least 11 points in the game and DeAndre Ayton dominated on the boards with 17 rebounds. Phoenix looked completely lost after Game 3, but with one strong performance in Game 4, the Suns are suddenly back in the driver’s seat with home court advantage over the last three games of the series.
Tuesday night’s total is set at 207.5 points at sports betting sites. The OVER is 11-4 in Phoenix’s last 15 home games against Los Angeles.
Los Angeles has played well on defense all series long in holding the Suns to just 99 points per game. The Lakers’ strong defensive play gives the team a shot at an upset without Davis in the lineup if the offense is able to step up. LeBron James will be the focal point of the offense on Tuesday, but the rest of the team will need to do its part in the offensive zone as well.
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