Ala Hann Sport picks

Those who are betting Preakness Stakes this weekend are well aware of the importance of having a good thoroughbred, and the teams in the Western Conference finals are led by a pair of horses that you would even say are MVP or Hall-of-Fame caliber.

Phoenix Suns @ Los Angeles Lakers – Game 1 on Monday, May 17, 9:00 PM ET

The Suns finally got rid of their playoff nemesis, taking care of San Antonio in a hard-fought sweep that was personified by Steve Nash, who averaged 22.0 points and 7.8 assists against the Spurs, and played the fourth quarter of their Game 4 clinching win with a swollen eye due to a Tim Duncan elbow.  They even played a little bit of defense in the series, holding the Spurs to 100.2 points, more than five points below their regular-season average of 105.3 points.  Amare Stoudamire led the way against the Lakers in four games this year, averaging 20.3 points and 8.8 boards, while the Suns are going to need Nash to look for his own shot more with 13.8 points and 9.0 assists against the Lakers this season.  Those who bet on NBA playoffs will feel more confident if Nash comes out aggressive like he did against the Spurs.  The Suns may also get Robin Lopez back from an ailing back, which will help against the Lakers’ post players.

The Lakers are coming off their own sweep of Utah, but like the Spurs pushed the Suns, the Jazz didn’t roll over for the defending NBA champions.  Kobe Bryant bounced back from a rough opening series against Oklahoma City in which he looked like he was in pain the entire time, to blast the Jazz for 32.0 points per game, shooting 52.3% from the field and looking like the guy who led the Lakers to the promised land last year.  Bryant averaged 27.5 points against the Suns this season, while Andrew Bynum was next with 17.8 points and 9.8 boards, and he’ll be essential to the Lakers after a poor series against the Jazz.

The Lakers are favored at -325 to win this series if you’re going to bet NBA, and they’ll have revenge on their minds, like the Suns had with the Spurs in the last round.  The Suns eliminated the Lakers in the first round in both the 2006 and 2007 playoffs, and you can bet that Bryant has that in the back of his mind.  The Lakers are going to have an immense advantage in the post, and they should look to get Stoudamire in foul trouble.  Lopez isn’t up to game shape just yet, which means Bynum, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom should be able to get inside at will.  We’re taking the Lakers in six games in our betting picks.