:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72103024/1245786601.0.jpg "NBA picks: Suns vs. Lakers prediction, odds, over/under, spread, injury report")
The Phoenix Suns (38-33) will face off against the Los Angeles Lakers (35-37) at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday night with tip set for 10 p.m. ET. The Suns are coming off a 124-120 loss to the Thunder on Sunday and sit in fourth place, just one game ahead of the Clippers. The Lakers find themselves just on the outside of the play-in tournament, in 11th place but only half a game behind the 10th-place Jazz.
The Suns will be without Deandre Ayton, who will be sidelined with a hip injury while Kevin Durant will miss his seventh consecutive game with an ankle sprain. Anthony Davis is probable for LA.
DraftKings Sportsbook has the Suns as 1-point favorites on the road, priced at -115 on the moneyline while the Lakers are close at -105. The point total is set at 230.5.
Suns vs. Lakers, 10 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Lakers +1
Both teams are in rough form, with the Suns losing three of their last four and the Lakers dropping three of their last five. Phoenix is just 1-5 ATS since Durant's ankle injury back on March 8, while Los Angeles is 1-4 ATS in its last five games.
Phoenix has had a hard time without KD, and adding Ayton's injury on top of that has hampered the rotation greatly especially after giving up a few solid players at the trade deadline to get Durant from Brooklyn. The Suns were up by 15 points on Sunday in Oklahoma City, but the Thunder were able to capitalize on the hole Ayton left in the middle and mount a comeback to get the win.
The Lakers are coming off a 111-105 win over the Magic on Sunday that saw Austin Reaves put up an impressive 35 points while LeBron James (foot) has remained sidelined since late February. LA has seen some more impressive offensive play as of late and doesn't seem to have the depth problems that Phoenix does, so I'm backing the home side to get the win and cover tonight.
Over/Under: Over 230.5
With Ayton still sidelined, that should open up the paint for Anthony Davis to dominate down low and rack up a good amount of points. The Suns have gone over the total in their last two contests, and I'd expect both offenses to push hard enough to take this one over the total as well.