Who is ready for a matchup of point guards past and future? The Charlotte Hornets head to Phoenix to take on the Suns on Wednesday night, marking the first matchup between LaMelo Ball and Chris Paul. Let's continue our NBA odds series and make a Hornets-Suns prediction and pick.
Paul was named a Western Conference All-Star reserve on Tuesday. He has helped lead the Suns to a 20-10 record, with Phoenix primed to make its first playoff appearance in over a decade. The Point God has had a particular impact on team defense, with the Suns ranking seventh in the NBA in defensive rating.
Ball, meanwhile, is the leading candidate for the NBA's Rookie of the Year Award. The No. 3 overall pick is averaging 14.6 points, 6.1 assists and 6.1 rebounds, leading all rookies in all three categories. He has also impressed as a defensive playmaker after coming into the draft with questions on that end of the floor.
Which point guard will give their team the upper hand on Wednesday in the desert? Let's take a closer look at the betting odds and make a prediction for Hornets-Suns.
NBA Odds: Hornets-Suns Odds
Hornets +9.5 (-110)
Suns -9.5 (-110)
Over 225 points (-110)
Under 225 points (-110)
All odds obtained via BetOnline.ag
Why the Hornets could cover the spread
The Hornets are coming off a blowout loss at the hands of the Utah Jazz. Charlotte shot just 30.6 percent from beyond the arc and was dominated on the boards.
Issues clearing the defensive glass is nothing new for the Hornets. They rank 22nd in the NBA in that department. But the shooting woes were a bit out of character.
Charlotte ranks seventh in the NBA in 3-point percentage. Gordon Hayward (.424) and Terry Rozier (.451) are both shooting excellent percentages. P.J. Washington can stretch the floor, and Malik Monk has given the Hornets some shooting off the bench.
The Hornets can fill it up from deep, and Ball can kickstart the offense when he gets things moving in transition.
It will be quite interesting to see how the Suns match up with Charlotte defensively. The guess is Devin Booker sticks to Ball, while CP3 guards Terry Rozier.
Either way, Ball might have the matchup. If Paul guards him, Ball will be able to see over the defense and use his length to create separation, possibly negating Paul's physicality. Booker has made strides as an individual defender over the course of the years, but he still gets caught watching off the ball and can be careless.
Charlotte's best chance of winning this game and beating the spread is to speed things up. The Suns rank 29th in pace, slowing the game down and forcing opponents to operate in the half court.
But if the Hornets can get out and run while hunting transition triples, they might be able to manifest offense and control the tempo.
The Brooklyn Nets beat the Suns last Tuesday once they began paying faster and letting James Harden dictate things. Charlotte's best bet might be to replicate that strategy and let Ball, Rozier and Hayward stay on the constant offensive.
Why the Suns could cover the spread
The Suns are on a tear at present.
Phoenix responded to blowing the Nets game by winning each of its next three in blowout fashion. The Suns even have back-to-back 30-point victories, including a 32-point thrashing of the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday.
Charlotte has the misfortune of running into a Suns squad that is totally dialed in on the offensive end of the floor. Phoenix has scored at least 124 points in each of the past four games. The Suns have overwhelmed opponents with a barrage of 3-point shooting, making over 50 percent of their triples in that stretch.
Who is guarding Devin Booker? The 24-year-old scored 34 points in just over 29 minutes against Portland, shooting 12-for-17 from the field and posting his highest Game Score (30.3) of the season.
Booker scores in a variety of ways, but especially excels in the midrange. He should have another efficient game against a Hornets team allowing a 54.4 field goal percentage on all attempts inside the 3-point arc.
The Hornets are at their best when they can force turnovers. But the issue for Charlotte is the Suns do not give the ball away. Phoenix ranks fourth in the NBA in turnovers per game and has been exceptionally efficient during this recent offensive outburst. Plus, the Suns have multiple scoring threats. Six different players are averaging double figures.
Mikal Bridges has excelled as a floor spacer, also using his length to disrupt opposing wings. He will be all over Gordon Hayward, also forcing Hayward to be accountable on the other end.
The Suns get it done on both ends. Booker figures to be a matchup nightmare for Charlotte, and Paul will do his best to control the pace and grind the Hornets down with ample screen-and-rolls and kick-outs off straight-line drives.
Final Hornets-Suns prediction and pick
Although 9.5 points is a large spread to cover, the Suns are on an offensive tear, and both Paul and Bridges can be a nightmare for opposing guard and wing players, respectively.
The Hornets will have a tough time setting the pace of the game, and Charlotte is not defensively sound enough to stop Phoenix's varied offense.
FINAL PREDICTION & PICK FOR HORNETS-SUNS: PHX 127, CHA 109
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