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The Phoenix Suns take the floor at Smoothie King Center to take on the New Orleans Pelicans for Game 4 of their Western Conference first-round series. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NBA odds series, which includes our Suns-Pelicans prediction, odds, and pick we have laid out below.
The Suns edged the Pelicans in Game 4, 114-111, to regain homecourt advantage. Chris Paul came up huge once again in the fourth quarter for Phoenix. Just like he did in Game 1, CP3 went automatic with his midrange game and poured in 19 points in the final period. He finished Game 3 with 28 points and 14 assists. Without Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton stepped up and scored 28 points of his own to go along with 17 rebounds. JaVale McGee also had a huge contribution off the bench with 15 points.
Brandon Ingram paced the Pelicans with 34 points and seven rebounds, while CJ McCollum had 30 points and seven assists. Undrafted rookie Jose Alvarado also had a great fourth quarter where he scored nine points on 4-of-5 shooting. New Orleans had a golden chance to go up 2-1, but couldn't find an answer to stop the brilliance of Chris Paul in the clutch.
Here is how FanDuel has set the Suns-Pelicans NBA Playoffs odds for Game 4.
NBA Playoffs Odds: Suns-Pelicans Odds
Phoenix Suns: -2 (-110)
New Orleans Pelicans: +2 (-110)
Over: 215.5 (-110)
Under: 215.5 (-110)
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Why The Suns Could Cover The Spread
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This is a pretty narrow spread for the Suns, which they just barely covered in Game 3. Nonetheless, Phoenix did have the game in the bag in the last few seconds before CJ McCollum drained a three at the buzzer to end the game with a three-point difference.
Deandre Ayton had a huge game for the Suns and with Booker out, this is his time to prove that he deserves the max deal he coveted this past summer. He got off to a good start with 28 points and 17 boards in Game 3. He should continue to get more touches and opportunities as CP3's top option, especially through the first three periods.
And of course, when it came to winning time, Chris Paul came to save the day. As Reggie Miller said in Game 1's broadcast, the veteran just “reads the room” better than anyone when he knows they need him to take over. And that's exactly what he did, dropping 19 points in the fourth quarter for the second time in this series.
The absence of Booker certainly stings, which is why the Suns will need a collective effort from everyone to fill in his production. Game 3 wasn't quite a defensive clinic from Phoenix, as New Orleans still shot 48 percent from the field. They will need to step up on that end of the floor if they want to head back home with a 3-1 series lead.
Why The Pelicans Could Cover The Spread
The fact that Devin Booker is out for the rest of this series gives New Orleans a puncher's chance of knocking out the NBA's best team in the regular season. The Pelicans put up a good fight in the fourth quarter of Game 3 and certainly had their chance to steal the 2-1 series advantage.
Unfortunately, they had no answer to Chris Paul's heroics down the stretch, similar to Game 1. Look for head coach Willie Green to make adjustments in defending Paul, especially when he's assertive and aggressive with his shot in the clutch. Green attempted to blitz the 36-year-old in the pick and roll late in the fourth in an effort to get the ball out of his hands. But by that time, the damage had already been done.
They also have to find a way to stop the Suns' big men from punishing them in the paint. Jonas Valanciunas isn't the best answer to that, while Larry Nance Jr. is too small to deal with the towering tandem of Ayton and McGee.
Jose Alvarado played inspired ball in the fourth period and he could be the X-factor for New Orleans moving forward. CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram put up huge scoring numbers and combined 20 points in the fourth in Game 3. If Alvarado can contribute offensively with his stingy defense, and McCollum and Ingram continue scoring the ball at a high clip, New Orleans can even up the series ahead of Game 5.
Final Suns-Pelicans Prediction & Pick
I'll go with the Suns for this one. They're the best team in the league for a reason. Despite being relatively young, they still have arguably the best leader in the game who could calm the ship down when the waters get testy. Paul has proven that twice in this series. In addition, the Suns also dominated the paint and the Pelicans don't seem to have an answer for Phoenix's big men down low. The Suns should take a commanding 3-1 series heading into a possible close-out in Game 5.
Final Suns-Pelicans Prediction & Pick: Suns: -2 (-110)
