Gamblers should be salivating as they fall all over each other getting to the virtual betting window to place their wager on the Phoenix Suns in game-three of Thursday nights Western Conference NBA Playoffs series in Los Angeles against the Lakers. LA returns to the Staples Center for its first playoffs home game following an embarrassing 126-98 loss at the hands of the Suns in game two at USAirways Center in Phoenix on Tuesday. Surprisingly, the Lakers are getting a fair amount of respect from oddsmakers as Phoenix is installed a slight -4.0 road favorite. The total is currently holding at 211 ½.
The Lakers haven’t been stellar at home of late losing 12 of their last 20 games and going 5-5 in their last ten. The last foray into LA for the Suns was on April 8th when they defeated the Lakers 115-107, covering the -4 ½ betting line (ATS) in the eight point win.
The Suns should smell blood knowing the Lakers are a beat up team with four of five players in the starting lineup nursing injuries. Kwame Brown is slowed with a sprained ankle, Lamar Odom has a sensitive left shoulder from a torn labrum, Luke Walton has a sprained right ankle and star guard Kobe Bryant is suffering from a mild sprain on his right ankle. Brown, Odom and Walton are listed as probable while Bryant will play for sure. The only healthy starter for the Lakers is rookie guard Jordan Farmar who has seen limited playing time this season and has been recently spent time in the NBA developmental league.
In game-two , Farmar hit a three in the opening seconds giving the Lakers their largest and only lead of the night as they soon fell behind by six at the end of one, by 21 at the half and never drew closer than 19 the rest of the way, trailing by as many as 32 points en route to the 28 point loss.
While the Lakers are getting some respect from the sportsbooks, the public isn’t buying it as 92 per cent like the Suns on the side bet and 95 percent like the Suns on the money line. The total is expected to go OVER by 66 per cent of the public.
