The Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns will square off on Tuesday night. This contest is the third meeting of the season between these two, with each team claiming a victory in their previous two matchups. The Lakers will be without one of its top stars in this game and they will try to overcome that to get a win in their final game before Christmas Day. Before tip-off from Phoenix, you can find my Lakers vs Suns prediction below.
Our Lakers vs Suns Pick
Pick: | Suns -5.5 |
Confidence: | 3/5 |
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Los Angeles Lakers @ Phoenix Suns
- Date & Time: Tuesday, December 23, 2025, 9:00 PM ET
- Venue: Mortgage Matchup Center, Phoenix, Arizona
- Broadcast: NBA League Pass
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Key Storylines
- The Lakers will be missing Luka Dončić due to a left calf contusion, and Austin Reaves is questionable with a calf issue. Deandre Ayton is available, while Rui Hachimura and Gabe Vincent remain sidelined. These absences significantly impact LA’s offensive firepower and rotation continuity heading into Phoenix. But Doncic is expected to return for the Lakers' Christmas Day game against the Houston Rockets.
- Jalen Green remains out for Phoenix with a right hamstring injury and will be re-evaluated in the coming weeks. This deprives the Suns of a dynamic scoring option, placing more pressure on Collin Gillespie and Devin Booker to carry the load.
- Both teams are jockeying for positioning in the Western Conference. The Suns sit in seventh place in the West standings, while the Lakers are in fourth place despite their recent injury setbacks.
- Both teams are coming off losses in their last games. The Lakers lost a road game to the crosstown rival Clippers, while the Suns were defeated by the Golden State Warriors. Both teams will try to bounce back from those defeats here.
Head-to-Head & Betting Trends
- This is the third meeting this month between these Western rivals. The Lakers won the last encounter by two points in Phoenix, while the Suns won earlier in Los Angeles by 17 points.
- The Lakers are 16-11 against the spread this season.
- The Suns are 18-10 against the spread going into this contest.
- The Lakers are 18-9 to the over heading into this matchup.
- The under has hit in 15 of the Suns' first 28 games.
Best Player Props to Watch
Player | Prop |
|---|
Devin Booker | Over 25.5 Points |
Collin Gillespie | Over 5.5 Assists |
LeBron James | Over 5.5 Rebounds |
Mark Williams | Over 6.5 Rebounds |
Lakers vs Suns Model Projection
Score Projection: Lakers 112 – Suns 119
Win Probability: Lakers 42%, Suns 58%
Final Thoughts
With Luka Dončić out and other Lakers contributors limited by injury concerns, Phoenix holds the edge in this matchup at home. Expect a competitive game, but one that ultimately leans in favor of Phoenix. I'll lay the points with Phoenix in this marquee matchup on Tuesday night.
Jay Sanin
Jay Sanin is the GM and Head of Sports at ATS.io. He has been writing about sports gambling since 2013, handicapping tens of thousands of sporting events. He plays sides and totals aggressively across most sports and is more selective in player prop markets. He does his own modeling across most sports, and his family is jealous of how much time he spends on his precious spreadsheets.
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