Betting on games always involves an element of the unknown, but certain situations can give you even more.
A case in point is Tuesday's NBA Cup, when the Los Angeles Lakers visit the Phoenix Suns. With All-Stars Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal returning from injury, the handicap has clearly changed.
Durant has been sidelined since Nov. 8 with a strained left calf muscle, and Phoenix is 1-6 without him in the lineup.
The Suns were underperforming last year, but have played a high level of basketball this season with Durant, Beal, and Devon Booker in the starting lineup. That will likely be the case against LA as well, but which version will it be given that both players are returning from layoffs?
“Sometimes when a player is out for a long time, their minutes are limited. Durant's calf injury could play into that, but we didn't expect that here.” said NBA oddsmaker Jeff Sherman, head of Superbook. communicated only to players. “With guys who haven't played together for a long time, you would expect there to be an adjustment period, but you can't expect that here as this is the Suns trio's second season.”
Lakers vs Suns odds
| team | spread | money line | odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| lakers | +2.5 (-112) | +114 | o234.5 (-108) |
| sans | -2.5 (-108) | -135 | u234.5 (-112) |
Meanwhile, the Lakers are on a losing streak, but the stakes and focus change in NBA Cup play. In fact, the Lakers won last year's in-season tournament undefeated and are off to a 2-0 start this year in West Group B.
The Lakers are coming off a regular-season home loss to the Denver Nuggets in which they trailed by 31 points in the second half. Rookie coach JJ Redick offered some strong, constructive criticism, but it's a must-see for anyone looking to bet on the Lakers.
I expect Los Angeles and Phoenix to get off to a strong start, but there will be a bit of an adjustment period as Durant and Beal return to a lineup that was a little lost without them.
Therefore, I'm betting on the Lakers, who will be behind by one point in the first half.
I also like to take advantage of situations like this to think outside the box.
For example, bettors often forget to isolate props, such as which team reaches 10, 15, or 20 points first, rather than betting on the first quarter or first half.
Do you want to bet on the NBA?
But I feel like they have a special advantage here, as the Lakers have a good bench and could make a push in the second quarter, at which point Phoenix's rhythm could face a tough stretch. No.
The Lakers rank 11th in first-half point differential, but eighth in second-half point differential.
I was happy to support them for the first 24 minutes and hope Redick can push the right buttons for a team that does well in NBA Cup play.
BEST BET: Lakers first half +1 (-110, DraftKings)
Why trust New York Post Betting?
Doug Kezirian is a contributor to the New York Post and currently serves as chief content officer at sports betting media company Only Players. Doug has over 20 years of experience in sports betting, including 11 years as a host, columnist and betting analyst at ESPN. He also grabbed headlines by taking $297,000 in the 2021 NFL Draft.
