Lakers vs. Suns Game 6 Odds: Preview, Picks, & Predictions

by Sloan Piva (SloanPiva) Last Updated 2021-06-03 16:23:24

Thursday night’s NBA Playoff slate begins with the Nuggets vs. Blazers and ends with the Lakers vs. Suns. The Lakers trail the Suns 3-2 and are now in do-or-die mode as LeBron James faces a first-round playoff exit. Stay on top of all the important betting information, including Suns vs. Lakers Game 6 odds, injury updates, an afternoon action report, plus NBA betting picks and predictions here!.

Lakers vs. Suns Game 6 Odds

Man, the best player on the planet sure likes to make things interesting for himself, doesn’t he? LeBron James needed a play-in win over familiar foe Steph Curry to get into the 2021 NBA Playoffs, and now he needs two straight wins over longtime friend (and rival) Chris Paul. As Craig Robinson exclaims gleefully in Pineapple Express, “This is so exciting!”

But unless Anthony Davis is cleared to play Game 6, it might not be very exciting whatsoever. James might be the best overall player in all of hoops, but he can’t take on the entirety of a complete Suns team himself. He’s never gone all the way without a solid running mate. This regular season, LA finished with the seventh seed because Davis played a mere 36 of 72 games.

During the season, AD’s issues stemmed from calf and Achilles tendon injuries. Now, it’s the pesky groin, which he injured 19 minutes into Game 4 (he also has a hyperextended knee). As a result, Phoenix took that game, and then proceeded to trounce the Brow-less Lakers 115-85 in Game 5 (side note: I called it!).

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AD’s role in LA’s offense—as well as his impact on the defensive side of the floor—cannot be overstated. The eight-time All-Star and four-time All-NBA and All-Defense has averaged 34 points and 10.5 rebounds in the Lakers’ two wins this series. In the two losses he has played in, he averaged just 9.5 points, 5.5 boards, and 2.5 dimes. Of course, he only logged 19 minutes in Game 4, but the point remains the same: LA can’t beat Monty Williams’ Suns unless AD is active for 30-35 minutes.

Suns vs. Lakers Game 6 Preview

Phoenix is far too balanced of a team on both sides of the ball to lose to a top-heavy squad without its second-best player. “(player-popup #chris-paul)Chris Paul”:/players/chris-paul-1087—and to a lesser extent, “(player-popup #jae-crowder)Jae Crowder”:/players/jae-crowder-13942—have gelled perfectly with Williams and this young squad. Devin Booker, who lit up the Lakers for 30 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, has matured from streaky shooter to effortlessly pure scorer. Crowder and Mikal Bridges are the hard-working three-and-D guys.

But the three most pleasant surprises for Suns fans this series have been Deandre Ayton and the two Camerons.

Ayton, the controversial No. 1 pick of the 2018 draft who will always be known as the guy picked ahead of Luka and Trae, has picked a perfect time to finally meet his potential. He has given Andre Drummond, Marc Gasol, and Montrezl Harrell fits on the interior for the majority of the series.

As for the Camerons, Payne and Johnson have emerged as versatile scorers in Williams’ second unit. They have combined to average 21.2 points per game this series, and seem to gain confidence with every active minute. Payne in particular has successfully set the tone nearly every time he has entered the game—he and Booker combined to score 28 points on 11-of-15 shooting in just the first quarter last game.

Meanwhile, James and AD have struggled to find offensive support from their teammates. Drummond has revealed the offensive woes that made him in a relatively-unwooed midseason buyout. Harrell can only seem to dominate second and third string defenders, which doesn’t help his squad much in a playoff setting. Dennis Shroder has been a shell of his former self since returning from injury in May, and he completely disappeared in Game 5 (0 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist in 26 minutes). Alex Caruso and Kyle Kuzma have been inconsistent as ever. And if you’re relying on Talen Horton-Tucker in a meaningful game, you might as well pick up the bait now, because you’re going fishing.

The Lakers have fought a championship hangover all season, and injuries have really been the biggest headache. The western conference got better (and arguably, so did the league as a whole), teams like the Suns found their identity and turned into complete, cohesive units, and LA lost its way due to a state of constant rotational flux. In basketball, you want the whole to be greater than the sum of your parts. The Lakers have become just a bunch of parts (many of which are damaged), thrown together in the hopes it will all stick. Defensive weaknesses now outweigh offensive strengths, and everybody is relying on LeBron James way more than they should.

Suns-Lakers Game 6 Predictions

Can LA pull off the Game 6 win at home? Yeah, sure—and oddsmakers seem to agree. They’re at Staples, where they finished 23-16 in the regular season. If AD plays, I’d be inclined to take the Lakers -135 moneyline. There’s still something to be said for having two of the five best players in basketball on the floor for 40 minutes.

There’s also something to be said for Booker’s home-road splits, as the young star has taken a demonstrably big step back in road playoff games. In his three postseason contests at home, Booker has averaged 31.7 points per game and shot 50 percent from the floor. In his road playoff games, he averages 18 points per game and shoots just 33.3 percent.

If AD is not active tonight, all bets are off for the Lakers. He means too much to LA, and his absence opens up far too many holes for Williams, Paul, and the Suns to exploit. The Lakers’ offense starts to sputter on one end, and their defense gets gashed on the other. Give me Phoenix +2 if and when AD is declared out once again.

There could be some long faces in LA this evening, or there could be an invigorated squad headed back to Phoenix with momentum for Game 7. It all depends on the Brow.

LAKERS vs. SUNS PREDICTION WITH AD ACTIVE: Lakers 110-104
LAKERS vs. SUNS PREDICTION IF AD IS INACTIVE: Suns 116-107

Lakers vs. Suns Betting Picks

Schmitto’s Pick: Once again I have a difficult time disagreeing with my colleague Sloan. The biggest question, of course, is whether Anthony Davis will be active or not. There’s not much information available to NBA bettors right now aside from the fact that Davis “feels better” and “wants to play” but is waiting for the Lakers staff to clear him medically. To add to the Lakers’ troubles, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is also listed as questionable for Game 6. I have no clue how severe Davis’ or Pope’s injuries are, but I do think it’s plausible that if the Lakers expected both to be active, we’d still have just as little information at this time. With their backs against the wall and facing elimination, the Lakers have no incentive to show their cards. After sitting out Game 5, Davis was going to be a game-time decision Thursday night regardless of his progress during their off-day. With that said, I’m preparing for the Lakers big man to play, thus I won’t be betting against the Lakers. This line opened LAL -3.5, then fell to -2. So if Davis plays and bet on Lakers -2, we definitely have a little bit of value with this pick. I don’t love the Lakers’ chances of Davis is out, but we’re never drawing dead with King James.

Suns vs. Lakers Pick: Lakers -2 at BetMGM

image Credit: Imagn