Suns vs. Lakers Prediction and Odds for October 28: LeBron, Durant Add Another Battle to Their Ledger

The Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns will lock horns for the second time in the first seven days of the 2024-25 NBA season on Monday night.

The matchup is headlined by two of the game’s greatest ever, LeBron James and Kevin Durant, who combined for 51 points, 14 assists, and eight rebounds when they played in a 123-116 win for LA on Friday.

First-year coach JJ Redick is still yet to lose as an NBA coach as the Lakers are 3-0 for the first time since the 2010-11 season. The Suns are trying not only to stop their run, but to jump to a 3-1 start themselves.

Here, we will analyze the matchup and share our favorite betting picks for the Suns vs. Lakers showdown on Monday night.

Suns vs. Lakers Betting Odds for Monday, October 28

It’s still early in the season, but betting trends are beginning to take shape.

The Lakers are 3-0 against the spread and 1-0 ATS as an underdog. This will be their first road game of the season after they hosted the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Suns, and the Sacramento Kings.

The Suns are 1-2 ATS, 0-1 ATS as the favorite, and 1-0 ATS at home. The lone cover came during their last time on the court, when they beat the Dallas Mavericks 114-102 as 3.5-point underdogs.

Odds from BetMGM Sportsbook. Use our promo code WSNSPORTS and place your bets at BetMGM to claim up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets*.

*Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days. One New Customer Offer Only. Add’l terms.

Suns vs. Lakers Prediction

Phoenix Suns Preview

The Suns finally have a team that makes sense for the Kevin Durant and Devin Booker pairing. 

Whereas they lacked three-and-D wings and a secondary scorer during the first iteration of the team and a true playmaker in the second, they now have all of the necessary parts to compete in a loaded Western Conference.

Newcomer Tyus Jones has already made his impact as the initiator and orchestrator of the offense, averaging 11 points and 6.3 assists. Rookie Ryan Dunn has been a terror on defense and shot 46.2 percent from three, going 3-6 from range against Dallas in the first start of his career.

While Durant averaged 28.7 points, Booker is yet to get out of the starting blocks and is stuck at 19.7 points per game. Bradley Beal is just behind at 19.5 but on much more efficient shooting splits.

One of coach Mike Budenholzer’s biggest adjustments has been adding more ball movement to the Phoenix offense, leading to more open three-pointers. They attempted 38 threes per game, the 12th-most in the league, coming off a season during which they took just 32.3 per game, the sixth-fewest.

Phoenix also ranks sixth in defensive rating and gave up the fewest second-chance points in the NBA, which makes them a more impressive team than their 1-2 record suggests.

Claim $1,500 in Bonus Bets at BetMGM

Los Angeles Lakers Preview

This can’t be the same Lakers team that was on the court last year, right?

Redick, despite having no legitimate coaching experience, has already worked wonders with the purple and gold. An offense that did not move the ball well and depended heavily on the LeBron James-Anthony Davis pick-and-roll to be the main source of offense has been replaced by one with free-flowing movement and excellent sets during live-action and from breaks in the action.

Like the Suns, the Lakers have prioritized the three-point shot much more than they did a year ago. They still aren’t taking anywhere near as many three-pointers (30.3 per game) as their new coach wants them to, but they rank fourth in rebounding percentage and fifth in assist-to-turnover percentage. That’s helped them create extra margins within the game even in lieu of the trey-ball.

The Lakers have also shown better focus and execution going into and coming out of halftime, which was something they struggled with a year ago. 

Anthony Davis is off to an NBA MVP level start, averaging 34 points, 11 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.3 blocks, and 1.7 steals on 57/40/80 shooting splits. James, meanwhile, is fresh off a 32-point, 14-rebound, 10-assist triple-double, during which he became the first player in NBA history to record at least 15 points, five rebounds, and five assists without missing a shot a quarter.

Join BetMGM for $1,500 in Bonus Bets

Suns vs. Lakers Betting My Pick

• Suns vs. Lakers pick: Suns -3.5 (-105) at BetMGM

The Suns roared out to a 22-point second-quarter lead when they last played the Lakers, only to lose the second half 71-55 and to fall on the road. That was despite them making 17 threes and shooting 51.2 percent from the field, 45.9 percent from deep, and 88.2 percent at the line.

The new-look LA offense is tough to defend. However, they need to take and make more threes to survive in the new era of basketball. They also did not play solid defense in either of their two most recent games, which is why they’re just 20th in defensive rating.

The Lakers are an impressive team and might be better than advertised, but this is a prime spot for the Suns to snatch a win on their home court.

Use WSNSPORTS at BetMGM for $1,500 Bonus

Get 3 Months of NBA League Pass on Top of $150 in Bonus Bets at FanDuel

Win a full three months of NBA League Pass with FanDuel Sportsbook! Claim this offer today by signing up for a new FanDuel account and placing a $5 winning wager. Remember, your wager needs to hit to be able to claim $150 in bonus bets along with 3 Months of NBA League Pass. Click on the image below and get this offer!

How to Watch Suns vs. Lakers on 10/28/24

• When: Monday, Oct. 28 at 7:00/10:00 p.m. PT/ET

• Where: Footprint Center, Phoenix, AZ

• TV: NBA TV

More NBA Bets Today

Best NBA Prop Bets for October 28

Best Cavaliers vs. Knicks Same Game Parlay

FanDuel NBA Promo Code - Bet $5 and Get 3 Months of NBA League Pass