NBA odds: Phoenix Suns not likely to win; solid pick getting 11 points

It’s only a 4-game slate Wednesday and the NBA odds say it may be best to start 2020 on a road dog. The Suns getting 11 points from the Lakers is the pick.

Limited options call for some creativity and if you’re looking at the NBA odds for New Year’s Day, there is a definite lack of options with a four-game schedule. Maybe it’s time to start the New Year with a road underdog keeping a game close (or at least relatively close).

According to information provided courtesy of The Action Network, the Phoenix Suns are 11-point underdogs Wednesday night when they visit Staples Center to play the Western Conference-leading Los Angeles Lakers.

More from Hoops Habit

Neither team has been going great guns in terms of covering spreads of late, but the Suns are 4-5-1 against the spread in their last 10 games despite just a 2-8 straight-up record. They’ve shown signs of life lately, as the two wins in their last 10 games have come in their last two games.

Phoenix will also have Deandre Ayton available on Wednesday, meaning the former No. 1 overall pick will … gasp … play consecutive games for the first time this season.

It’s been a rough go of it for Ayton, who went for 18 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks in Phoenix’s opening night romp over the Kings before being hit with a 25-game suspension for taking a banned substance.

In his return on Dec. 17 against the Clippers at Staples Center, Ayton had 18 points and 12 rebounds in just 24 minutes … before he went down with a sprained ankle and missed the next five games.

On Monday, Ayton came off the bench for just the second time in his career, finishing with six points and 12 boards in 20 minutes in Phoenix’s win at Portland. So, yes, he is averaging 16.2 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per-36 minutes (because Small Sample Size Theatre never fails to entertain).

The Lakers are as healthy as they’ve been for awhile, with only Anthony Davis listed on their injury report for Wednesday. He’s probable with the same sore shoulder that’s been bothering him for the last couple of weeks.

This will be the second of the four annual meetings between the Suns and Lakers and the first in Los Angeles. Phoenix is just 1-5 ATS in their last six games against the Lakers and did not cover in the first matchup, a 123-115 win on Nov. 12 by Los Angeles on the road as 3½-point favorites.

But an 11-point spread is a much different animal than 3½ points and the Suns are 3-1 ATS in their last four games, while the Lakers are just 2-6 ATS in their last eight and have covered just two of their last four games at home.

So Phoenix looks like a good play to at least keep it respectable.

Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Lakers

TV: Fox Sports Arizona (Suns), Spectrum Sportsnet (Lakers)
Tickets: Staples Center, 7:30 p.m. local (10:30 p.m. Eastern)
Records: Phoenix 13-20 (18-14-1 ATS, 9-6 road ATS), Los Angeles 26-7 (18-14 ATS, 9-6 home ATS)

Availability report (as of 8:30 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday)
Phoenix: OUT–Jared Harper (two-way, G League), Jalen Lecque (G League); QUESTIONABLE–Frank Kaminsky (right knee soreness).
Los Angeles: OUT–Kostas Antetokounmpo (two-way, G League), Devontae Cacok (two-way, G League), DeMarcus Cousins (right knee rehabilitation), Talen Horton-Tucker (G League); PROBABLE–Anthony Davis (right shoulder soreness).

Here are the other games that will tip off the new decade Wednesday night:

Orlando Magic at Washington Wizards

TV: Fox Sports Florida (Magic), NBC Sports Washington (Wizards)
Tickets: Capital One Arena, 6 p.m. local (6 p.m. Eastern)
Records: Orlando 14-19 (13-18-2 ATS, 7-8-1 road ATS), Washington 10-22 (16-15-1 ATS, 6-7 home ATS)

Availability report
Orlando: OUT–Al-Farouq Aminu (right knee, torn meniscus), Michael Carter-Williams (left shoulder, AC joint sprain), B.J. Johnson (two-way, G League); QUESTIONABLE–Aaron Gordon (sore left Achilles).
Washington: OUT–Davis Bertans (right quad strain), Thomas Bryant (stress reaction, right foot), Rui Hachimura (groin injury), C.J. Miles (left wrist surgery), Moritz Wagner (sprained left ankle), John Wall (left Achilles rehab); QUESTIONABLE–Bradley Beal (lower right leg soreness).

Notable: The offensively challenged Orlando Magic head to D.C. to take on the defensively inept Washington Wizards, so there’s a chance something is going to give here. Neither team has been tearing up the NBA of late, with both the Magic and Washington losing seven of their last 10 games.

The Wizards are 4-6 ATS in that span, while Orlando is 3-6-1 ATS. But the Magic have covered just once in their last five games against Washington and they have split the two meetings this season ATS, while Orlando has won both games. The Magic didn’t cover a six-point spread in a 125-121 win at home on Nov. 17, but won 127-120 as one-point underdogs at Washington on Dec. 3

Portland Trail Blazers at New York Knicks

TV: NBC Sports Northwest (Trail Blazers), MSG Network (Knicks), NBA TV (national)
Tickets: Madison Square Garden, 7:30 p.m. local (7:30 p.m. Eastern)
Records: Portland 14-20 (13-20-1 ATS, 7-10 road ATS), New York 9-24 (17-16 ATS, 7-9 home ATS)

Availability report
Portland: OUT–Zach Collins (left shoulder dislocation), Rodney Hood (left Achilles tendon rupture), Skal Labissiere (left knee inflammation), Jusuf Nurkic (left leg fracture); QUESTIONABLE–Mario Hezonja (low back pain).
New York: OUT–Kadeem Allen (two-way, G League), Ivan Rabb (two-way, G League); QUESTIONABLE–Damyean Dotson (sore lower back), Frank Ntilikina (sore groin), Dennis Smith Jr. (strained left oblique); PROBABLE–Ignas Brazdeikis (illness), Reggie Bullock (cervical disc herniation), Kevin Knox (illness).

Notable: The Portland Trail Blazers head out to the East Coast with a four-game losing streak that includes three straight losses at home. Not ideal. To make a bad picture even uglier, the Blazers are 0-4-1 ATS over their last five games. That compares to the suddenly feisty New York Knicks, who are 6-3 ATS over their last nine games.

The Knicks are 2-2 ATS at Madison Square Garden since interim head coach Mike Miller took over the club on Dec. 6. It was Portland, however, that handed New York its worst loss since the coaching change, a 115-87 pasting in the Pacific Northwest on Dec. 10 when the Blazers were favored by nine. The Knicks have covered two of the last three with Portland, however.

Minnesota Timberwolves at Milwaukee Bucks

TV: Fox Sports North (Timberwolves), Fox Sports Wisconsin (Bucks)
Tickets: Fiserv Forum, 7 p.m. local (8 p.m. Eastern)
Records: Minnesota 12-20 (12-18-2 ATS, 9-7-1 road ATS), Milwaukee 30-5 (21-14 ATS, 11-7 home ATS)

Availability report
Minnesota: OUT–Jake Layman (left toe sprain), Karl-Anthony Towns (left knee sprain), Andrew Wiggins (flu-like symptoms); DOUBTFUL–Jeff Teague (right knee sprain); QUESTIONABLE–Treveon Graham (flu-like symptoms), Noah Vonleh (left gluteal contusion); PROBABLE–Josh Okogie (right elbow bursitis).
Milwaukee: QUESTIONABLE–Wesley Matthews (right thigh contusion); PROBABLE–Giannis Antetokounmpo (back soreness).

Notable: The Minnesota Timberwolves, for having lost 12 of their last 14 games, haven’t been a terrible road pick, going 2-2-1 ATS in their last five away from Minneapolis. But they are still 3-10-1 ATS over those last 14 games and take on an opponent in the Milwaukee Bucks that has won 13 games this season by 17 points or more. The Timberwolves have 12 wins … period.

Each NBA team's greatest coach ever. dark. Next

The Bucks have been rolling through covers lately, going 6-1 ATS in their last seven games and 9-2 ATS over their last 11. When these teams played in Minnesota on Nov. 4, Milwaukee picked up one of those 13 lopsided victories, smashing the Timberwolves 134-106 as 7½-point road favorites. With Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins already ruled out? It could get ugly.

Phoenix Suns not likely to win; solid NBA odds pick getting 11 points

By Phil Watson | Jan 1, 2020