The Suns won their season-opener over the Golden State Warriors 108-104, playing without Bradley Beal. Beal is dealing with some back tightness and is not expected to miss significant time, but he's doubtful to play against the Lakers. Devin Booker had a big opening night, leading Phoenix in scoring with 32 points. He is also doubtful after being a surprise addition to the game's injury report with left foot soreness.
The Lakers lost their season-opener on the road against the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets, who received their championship rings pre-game. Outside of LeBron James and Taurean Prince, the Lakers shot poorly as a team. If not for a poor shooting night, the Lakers looked much better to start the season than they did a year ago.
Phoenix will have a formidable challenge with two of their big three doubtful to play on Thursday night. Los Angeles home opener will bring out the stars, and the Lakers will be motivated to avoid starting the season 0-2.
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Betting odds for Suns vs. Lakers: Beal & Booker game time decisions for Phoenix
Keep track of the live odds for Suns vs. Lakers at the best online sportsbooks in the U.S. as game availability reports become available. If either Booker or Beal plays, that would push the odds back toward the Suns.
MORE NBA: Early season betting guide | Wembanyama props
Phoenix Suns betting news
If the doubtful designation plays out as expected, the Suns will need a big night from Kevin Durant to have a chance on the road vs. the Lakers. Phoenix added several strong three-point shooters like Grayson Allen and Eric Gordon to the roster in the offseason.
Even shorthanded, Phoenix has the potential to compete with Durant leading the way. The three-point shot is the great equalizer at times; even when one team is more talented, an NBA team that gets hot from three can be nearly impossible to beat.
Durant will also get help from another new piece to the Suns' roster, Jusuf Nurkic, who had a solid first game, scoring 14 points and grabbing 14 rebounds for a double-double while only taking eight shots. If Beal and Booker miss the game, expect Nurkic to get a lot more field goal opportunities than he did against the Warriors.
Los Angeles Lakers betting news
The Lakers opening night loss shouldn't concern fans. Every team has a bad shooting night, and playing at elevation in Denver for the first game of the season was not an easy task. Lakers fans were happy to see LeBron have a strong game, even in limited minutes for the 38-year-old superstar.
Los Angeles head coach Darvin Ham shared with the media that LeBron is 100% healthy but that in most games the plan will be to keep James around 30 minutes. That would be the lowest minutes per game in LeBron's career, but if the Lakers can get to the playoffs, it will hopefully result in a healthier LeBron, who, at his best, still can help this Lakers team contend for a title.
Outside of the LeBron and newly acquired Taurean Prince, opening night for the Lakers was nothing special for the rest of the Lakers stars and supporting cast. Anthony Davis had a very inefficient 6-of-17 night, and Austin Reaves was 4-of-11 and only attempted two threes (1-for-2).
Their track records are strong enough to know that opening night was more of an aberration than an expectation moving forward. If the Lakers' shooting is average and LeBron plays as well as he did against the Nuggets, Los Angeles stands a good chance to beat a shorthanded Suns squad.
Suns vs. Lakers props for NBA Thursday on TNT
FanDuel Sportsbook props for Suns vs. Lakers some potential value if you are looking to make wagers.
First Basket Scorer (including free throws)
- Kevin Durant +440
- Jusuf Nurkic +550
- Anthony Davis +550
- Lebron James +650
- Eric Gordon +750
- D'Angelo Russell +800
Winning Margin
- Suns 1-10 (+280)
- Suns 11+ (+850)
- Lakers 1-10 (+165)
- Lakers 11+ (+190)
Moneyline / Total Parlay
- Suns / over 229.5 (+650)
- Suns / under 229.5 (+330)
- Lakers / over 229.5 (+290)
- Lakers / under 229.5 (+110)
Suns vs. Lakers prediction: LA has advantage against short-handed Suns
The Suns and Lakers are playing their second game in three days, and with the Lakers at home, early season stamina could be worth watching for Phoenix. Combine that with two of the Suns' big three doubtful to play, and Phoenix will have their hands full.
Barring a big night from Kevin Durant, which he is more than capable of, or a red-hot shooting night, it will be tough for Phoenix to win in Los Angeles. The Lakers should shoot better and have plenty of motivation playing in front of their fans for their home opener. They should get the job done to avoid an 0-2 start.
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