Phoenix Suns vs. Los Angeles Lakers NBA Pick for December 21st, 2021

The Suns are heading to Los Angeles to take on the Lakers on Tuesday night. These two teams should be in for a good game, as both are playoff hopefuls.

The Suns have the best records in the NBA right now at 24-5, while the Lakers are trailing a bit far behind at 16-15. The Lakers still have LeBron James and Russell Westbrook, so don’t count them out yet.

Here is my prediction for Suns vs. Lakers on Tuesday Night, featuring odds from BetOnline.

The Suns are heavily favored to win this one with their 7 point spread. That shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, as they are looking to get back in the NBA Finals this season.

Los Angeles will be without one of their superstars in Anthony Davis, as he is feared to be out for at least a month with a knee injury. They have also been hit with a bunch of COVID cases, so the Lakers depth is in real trouble right now.

The over/under total is set pretty high because these two teams play very fast. The Lakers are first in the NBA in pace, while the Suns are right behind them at third.

Let’s get into why each team can cover their spread and my final prediction for this game.

The Suns are simply the better team coming into this game. They are also the healthier team as well. Chris Paul is a gametime decision with a hand injury, but they still could cover without him.

The Suns should be able to cover the spread and win pretty easily given the Lakers health and recent struggles. They are also the 6th best offensive team and 3rd best defensive team in terms of Offensive and Defensive Ratings.

The Lakers will be relying heavily on LeBron and Westbrook, but the Suns have the personnel to match. Jae Crowder matches up well with LeBron, while the Suns can use CP3 or Miles Bridges on Westbrook.

The Suns should be playing their best ball, as every team needs to against a LeBron-led team.

I am not big on the Lakers so far this season and they are now down AD. They would have had a better chance to cover with AD despite their depth issues already, but that is not the case. Their depth issues will be highlighted even more, as they are struggling to even get their guys on the floor.

These are some major issues for the Lakers, as they had a lot of roster turnover over the offseason. You need a lot of playing time together to build chemistry and that is significantly hurting the Lakers.

They could also use some players via trade, here some potential trade targets.

With that being said, you can never count out LeBron. He is going to need a vintage performance as well as some help from whoever else is suiting up for the Lakers. There has not been a lot of times where LeBron has been a 7 point underdog throughout his career.

If the Lakers are going to hang with the Suns, their players outside of LeBron and Westbrook are going to have to step up. Isaiah Thomas is looking to prove himself on a 10-day contract, and Carmelo Anthony can have a good night as well.

Welcome back, @isaiahthomas ? pic.twitter.com/iTXNHS5VlI

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 18, 2021

They are probably going to need CP3 to sit out this one to have a better chance of winning, but that is not a reliable bet.

As you can probably tell by now, I am not big on the Lakers in this one. The Suns have been incredible so far this season and the Lakers have been terrible. Give me the Suns to cover their spread and potentially embarrass the Lakers at home.

Keep an eye on CP3’s status for this one, as well as any other impactful players who can also miss this game. For more NBA betting recommendations, head over to our NBA picks page.

You can also head to the best NBA betting sites to place your bets.