The Los Angeles Clippers return to Staples Center to face the Phoenix Suns in a must-win Game 3 on Thursday night. It’s time to continue our NBA Playoffs odds series and make a Suns-Clippers prediction and pick.

The Suns now stand at 10-2 in the postseason both overall and against the spread. The Suns have won a franchise record nine straight games in the playoffs and are gunning for their 10th in Game 3.

The Clippers stand at 8-7 in the postseason overall, with an ATS record of 7-5-1. They are 4-3 on their home floor over the playoffs so far.

Here’s how sportsbooks have set the Suns-Clippers Game 3 odds.

NBA Odds: Suns-Clippers Game 3 Odds

Phoenix Suns -1 (-110)

Los Angeles Clippers +1 (-110)

Over 221.5 Points (-110)

Under 221.5 Points (-110)

Why The Suns Could Cover The Spread

After an emotional Game 2 victory, the Suns are riding a wave of momentum into Los Angeles on Thursday night.

Not only did Phoenix pull out the victory with the Deandre Ayton lob that's already being popularized as the “Valley-Oop,” but Chris Paul has been cleared to return to the floor after missing time due to a positive COVID-19 test.

Paul's impact on this Suns team can't be emphasized enough, and there's an argument to be made that he's Phoenix's most important player. Yes, the Suns managed to win both games without him, but it's doubtful that either of the games come down to the wire with a healthy Paul. Just take a look at the last five minutes of Game 2.

The Suns had a total of three turnovers and 11 points in the closing minutes of the game. All the turnovers belonged to Booker, who was forced to be the Sun's primary ball handler and responded poorly to the Clippers' ball pressure.

Booker is not a point guard even if he can play it at times. He is their primary scorer, and it's CP3's job to get him the ball in spots where he can be most deadly. Now that Chris Paul is back, Booker can do what he does best: get buckets.

Booker is averaging 28.3 points on 479% shooting this postseason, even after his 5-of-16 performance in Game 2. It's likely he finds his touch with most of the workload taken off his back in Game 3.

The Suns continue to be solid defensively and did a decent job on LA's shooters in Game 2, allowing 13-of-34 shooting from deep. The Clippers are so reliant on the 3-pointer that it is very difficult for them to win a postseason game if they don't shoot at least 40% from beyond the arc. In their eight playoff wins so far, only two featured the Clippers shooting below 40% from deep, and that's including a win in which they shot 39.4% against the Dallas Mavericks.

Essentially, LA doesn't win without 3-pointers, and the Suns have been excellent at shutting down the 3-point line all postseason. Phoenix has held opponents to only 33.7% 3-point shooting, and the myriad wing defenders like Mikal Bridges and Jae Crowder match up well.

With no Kawhi Leonard again and CP3 itching to grab a 3-0 lead, the Suns should come out looking for blood.

Why The Clippers Could Cover The Spread

After fighting tooth and nail all Game 2 to even this series, the Clippers fell two Paul George free throws and an alley-oop short. Even after the heartbreaking loss, there are some silver linings to be found.

First off, we know that the Clippers can win facing an 0-2 deficit. We've seen this story before. The Clippers go down two games, the odds swing way too dramatically in their opponent's favor, and Los Angeles comes away victorious. Ty Lue's group beat the Jazz in this same style, an arguably better team than the Suns squad they face currently.

Secondly, the Clippers showed some serious grit in Game 2. They easily could've put up the white flag when facing a six-point deficit late in the game without their superstar, knowing they were more than capable of winning two straight at home.

Instead, the Clippers buckled dow and briefly took the lead on some late-game clutch buckets by Paul George, but ultimately lost the game on a shot that will go down as one of the best in Suns history. Still, the game should instill confidence in the Clips that they can hang with this team, with or without Leonard.

Lastly, the Clippers and their role players have played much better on their home floor. The Clips have run off four straight wins in Staples Center, and a lot of it is due to some good old-fashioned home cooking.

Paul George's home-road splits have been particularly glaring. PG13 is shooting 46.4% from the field and 36.6% from 3 at Staples Center, as opposed to 43.1% from the field and 34.9% from 3 on the road.

George isn't the only Clipper partial to Staples. Marcus Morris is 9-of-34 from deep on the road this postseason and 19-of-40 at home. Nicolas Batum has had six double-digit scoring games in the playoffs, with five of those coming at Staples.

Los Angeles relies on its shooters to hit 3s to win games, and they've showed up far more often in their home arena than in front of a hostile crowd. Assuming they continue the trend tonight, the Clippers have a good chance of making this a 2-1 series.

Final Suns-Clippers Game 3 Prediction & Pick

I was a little confused to see this essentially bookmarked as a coin-flip game even with the return of Chris Paul. The Suns are now fully healthy and should get a physical and emotional boost with CP3 returning to the floor, and the Clippers are still without Leonard. Even assuming Paul is forced to play limited minutes (which is not a definite), the Suns have the clear advantage here. I would play the Suns up to -2.5 and expect them to take a 3-0 series lead.

FINAL SUNS-CLIPPERS GAME 3 PREDICTION & PICK: PHOENIX SUNS -1: PHX 115, LAC 109