The Western Conference 2nd seed Phoenix Suns and 3rd seed Los Angeles Clippers will be battling it out at Staples Center on Thursday. With that said, it’s time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Suns-Clippers prediction and pick.
The Suns are riding a seven-game winning streak right now and have won nine of their last ten games to overtake the 2nd seed in the Western Conference for a record of 36-14.
The Clippers have also been playing incredibly well behind the dominant performance of their All-Star Kawhi Leonard winning eight of their last ten games for a record of 34-18.
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the opening Suns-Clippers odds.
NBA Odds: Suns-Clippers Odds
Phoenix Suns +6 (-105)
Los Angeles Clippers -6 (-115)
Over 220.5 Points (-110)
Under 220.5 Points(-110)
Why The Suns Could Cover The Spread
The Suns are coming off a huge game on Wednesday against the Utah Jazz behind incredible offensive performances from both Chris Paul and Devin Booker.
CP3 put up 29 points, four rebounds, and nine assists while Booker had himself a 35-point night along with four rebounds, and three assists.
So far this season, CP3 has averaged 16.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game but the impact that CP3 has had and continues to have on this Phoenix team goes way beyond his stat lines.
The addition of CP3 gives Coach Monty Williams a true point guard that can handle the ball, manage the pace, and run the offense. This takes a ton of the pressure off of Booker to get his teammates involved while trying to create his own shots.
Ultimately, the key for the Suns to cover the spread on Thursday will not be on the offensive end of the floor but to contain the All-Stars for the Clippers in Paul George and Kawhi Leonard.
Why The Clippers Could Cover The Spread
The Clippers have gone 2-1 after the return of Paul George to the lineup.
In the two victories, George has put up 16 points, seven rebounds, and three assists against the Los Angeles Lakers and 36 points, three rebounds, and five assists against the Portland Trail Blazers.
What the Clippers missed most without George though is his presence on the defensive end of the floor and his ability to switch onto any opponent. With George back, this also takes some pressure off of Kawhi to run the offense and score the ball on every offensive play.
The addition of Rajon Rondo and Demarcus Cousins should also give the Clippers an offensive boost off the bench and help take some of the load off of the starters.
One of the keys for the Clippers to cover the spread against this talented Suns team is to force the ball out of Booker's hands and have another player on the Suns take the shot. The second key will be to get some much-needed offensive production off the bench in particular when neither Kawhi nor George on the floor which should be easier now with Rondo and Cousins.
Final Suns-Clippers Prediction & Pick
The Clippers and the Suns are both in the top 10 for defensive and offensive ratings in the NBA. The two teams each have two talented offensive players, CP3 and Booker for the Suns and George and Leonard for the Clippers. The team that will ultimately cover the spread will be the one that can play defense on the stars for each of the teams and which coach can get the most offense production from their bench. Tyronn Lue's squad takes the edge then because of the defensive ability of both George and Leonard to cover every position one through five; and the recent additions of Rondo and Cousins. The Clippers should pick up their third straight win while the Suns' seven-game winning streak should come to an end.
FINAL SCORE PREDICTION & PICK FOR SUNS-CLIPPERS: PHX 102, LAC 110 (LAC -6)
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