The Los Angeles Lakers will be well rested and favored in NBA betting as the Western Conference Finals begin on Monday. The Lakers will have had six days off after sweeping the Jazz. A rested Los Angeles team is definitely one to fear in basketball betting.NBA betting odds list the Lakers as better than 3-1 favorites to win the series against the Suns. Extra rest has been very important for the Lakers as Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum have a chance to rest from their injuries. Kobe looks as healthy as he has all season and the extra rest also helps Bynum.
The Lakers will need Bynum in this series against the Suns since Phoenix doesn’t have a lot of strength inside. The Lakers dominated the Suns in the paint in the regular season with more than a 13 point per game advantage. The Lakers won by an average of 15 points per game in their three wins vs. the Suns in the basketball betting regular season. Bynum averaged 15.7 points and 10 rebounds in the wins. He averaged 12.5 points and 12 rebounds in the first two games against Utah before doing very little in the next two games. “I think I just need to be a little more active, which is tough with the knee, but I think I can get it done,” Bynum said, “I think I just have to take advantage of early opportunities, that’s all I can really do.” The Suns don’t have much inside, especially if Robin Lopez does not play. Amare Stoudemire rarely plays any defense and Jarron Collins is no match for Pau Gasol or Bynum.
The Suns beat the Lakers in the playoffs in 2006 and in 2007 but the teams are different than they were back then. “It’s just not even the same teams, and they don’t have the same team … I haven’t thought about it in those terms at all.” Head coach Phil Jackson said. The Suns come into this game having won six in a row and eight of ten overall in the playoffs while the Lakers have similar numbers. The Lakers were 3-1 in the season series versus the Suns and they are 9-3 in the past three seasons since the playoff loss in 2007. The Lakers are 6.5 point favorites in NBA betting in Game 1 on Monday.