Lakers vs. Suns NBA Cup Prediction, Odds & Player Props

The Los Angeles Lakers’ perfect in-season tournament record will be tested when they face the Phoenix Suns at 10 p.m. ET on Tuesday inside the Footprint Center.

The Lakers are 2-0 in this year’s NBA Cup after winning last year’s inaugural in-season tournament with a 7-0 record. Yet the Suns are short favorites to knock off the Lakers in their third meeting in the history of this event.

Here is a look at the latest Lakers vs. Suns NBA odds and my best bet ahead of Tuesday’s showdown:

Lakers vs. Suns NBA Cup Odds, Nov. 26

• Point spread: Suns -2.5
• Moneyline: Lakers +2.5/Suns -2.5
• Total: 234.5

Lakers vs. Suns NBA Cup Prediction

According to the latest NBA spreads, my favorite Lakers vs. Suns NBA Cup prediction is laying the points with Phoenix (-2.5) to hand Los Angeles its first in-season tournament defeat.

The Suns (9-7) have been sliding since their strong start to the year, losing five in a row entering Tuesday’s contest. But Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant are returning to the lineup to help end their skid.

The Lakers (10-6), meanwhile, are coming off back-to-back losses to the Orlando Magic and Denver Nuggets. Head coach JJ Redick criticized the team’s competitiveness in the loss to Denver, suggesting the Lakers might not be as good as their overall record.

Los Angeles has taken advantage of a softer schedule, posting a 6-1 clip against teams below .500 and a 4-5 record against teams above .500. The Lakers suffered a 109-105 road loss to the Suns early in the year.

Phoenix played Los Angeles tough in both in-season tournament matchups last year, including a three-point loss in the quarterfinals. I expect the full-forced Suns to be motivated by that in Tuesday’s pivotal matchup.

Lakers vs. Suns NBA Player Props

• Kevin Durant Over 2.5 assists (-125)
• LeBron James Over 3.5 turnovers (-149)

Based on the current NBA betting odds, my favorite player props for Tuesday’s Lakers vs. Suns NBA Cup matchup involves Phoenix’s Kevin Durant and Los Angeles’ LeBron James.

For Durant, I’m taking over 2.5 assists (-125) due to a favorable matchup. The Lakers rank 27th in defensive rating and will give up plenty of transition points. I project 3.6 assists for Durant, meaning this line is playable at -145 or better.

As for James, he’s started to become the team’s primary facilitator since D’Angelo Russell moved to the bench. That has led to more turnovers for James, as he’s recorded four-plus turnovers in six straight contests.

If you don’t want to pay the juice on this prop, I’d be willing to parlay it with the Suns’ moneyline or their point spread.