There’s still plenty of pre-Christmas NBA action left to go, and here at VegasBetting we will be bringing you our expert picks on the biggest matches.
Tonight arguably the team of the season, the Phoenix Suns are in action again when they travel to LA to take on the Lakers.
The Suns went back to the top of the Western Conference when they beat Charlotte Hornets 127 points to 106 on Sunday night.
They were helped back to the top spot by the Golden State Warriors, who lost 119-100 to the Raptors on Saturday.
In betting to win the Western Conference, the Warriors are still the favorites with the best Vegas sportsbooks.
BetOnline makes the Warriors +175 to win the conference. There is clear daylight between the Warriors’ odds and the +425 available on the Suns.
In fact, the Suns are closer to the third betting favorite, Utah Jazz, who are +450.
| Betting to Win 2022 NBA Western Conference |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Golden State Warriors | +175 | +200 |
| Phoenix Suns | +425 | +400 |
| Utah Jazz | +450 | +450 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | +600 | +600 |
| LA Clippers | +1100 | +1000 |
It’s a similar story in the NBA betting to win the 2022 Championship.
The Brooklyn Nets are the outright +275 betting favorites.
The Golden State Warriors are next in the betting at +425, with Milwaukee Bucks at +800. The Phoenix Suns are fourth in the betting at +850.
The top sportsbooks and punters alike can’t be totally convinced by the Suns’ staying power.
They are taking a long-term view that Phoenix can’t keep this form going until the end of the season and that the cream – being the Nets and the Warriors – will eventually rise to the top.
The inconsistent Los Angeles Lakers take on the winning machine that is the Phoenix Suns at the Staples Center later today.
So far, and this could yet change, this match has avoided becoming one of the numerous matches postponed due to the covid pandemic.
If all goes to plan, we get started at 10pm tonight.
The LA Lakers have had a very disappointing season to date. I’ve forgotten how many times I’ve written that lately, but the facts are it’s true.
Despite their form, BetOnline still makes the Lakers sixth favorite in the betting to win the 2022 NBA Championship.
In their last 10 matches, the Lakers record reads 6-4. They are on a losing streak of two, with both of those defeats coming on the road.
In their last fixture, they went down 115-110 to the Chicago Bulls.
Tonight’s home match actually sees them return home after three matches on the road. They’ve been away in five of their last six, winning three, and losing two.
It’s been a tough run of fixtures for LA, and I can only imagine the last thing team they would want to be playing at the moment is the Suns.
And what of the Suns, well, they are on a winning streak of three. And in their last 10 matches, they are 8-2.
Those two defeats are the Suns’ only losses in their last 25 matches. Included in that run of fixtures was an 18 match winning streak.
The Suns have been outstanding of late.
The last defeat – away to the Clippers – was on Monday, December 13th.
In the following match, on the next night, they needed Over Time to defeat the Trail Blazers 111-107 in Oregon.
This is the only time since the 18 matches winning streak, that the Suns have looked slightly vulnerable.
Since then, they’ve beaten the Wizards 118-98, and the Hornets by 137-106, in what was a real thrashing.
Both those wins were at home though, and the previous two iffy results were both on the road.
So should the Lakers be smelling blood? Maybe, but with a home record of 10-7, the Staples Center is hardly a fortress.
For balance, on the road, the Suns are 10-3.
The Lakers have had just the three matches in the last nine days, while the Suns have played four times in the last eight days.
Quite clearly, the Lakers will be the fresher of the two teams. But will this equate to a win? I’m not sure!
I’m instead going against all my instincts in this match and going for Under 219.5 points on the Total Points spread.
The Suns’ last couple of away matches have seen them look a touch leggy, and on the back of a punishing schedule, I feel this may lead to a low-scoring match tonight.
The Western Conference action is not letting up. Christmas Day sees a humdinger of a match, with the Suns and Warriors clashing again at the Footprint Center in Arizona.
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