In a rematch of last year’s Western Conference Finals, the Los Angeles Clippers (29-30) will pay a visit to the league-leading Phoenix Suns (46-10) at the Footprint Center Tuesday. The game’s start time is set at 10:00 p.m. ET.
The Clippers have had their fair share of struggles this year with Kawhi Leonard (ACL) still waiting to make his season debut and Paul George still sidelined with a UCL injury. As a result, they find themselves in eighth place as they struggle to stay above .500. They’re coming off two straight wins, with a 99-97 victory over the Mavericks followed by a 119-104 defeat of the Warriors last night. They’ll look to keep that momentum going against the top team in the league.
The Suns are favored by 13 points at DraftKings Sportsbook, with moneyline odds at -1000. The Clips are priced at +650, with the point total set at 223.5.
Clippers vs. Suns, 10:00 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Clippers +13 (-115)
Let’s get the obvious out of the way right up front: The Suns will almost definitely win this game. Nobody’s disputing that but with the spread set at 13, it’s hard to imagine the Clippers will lose by more than that. LA is coming off a 119-104 win over the Warriors as six players scored in the double digits, led by Terance Mann who put up 25. They beat the Dubs by 15 points, which is a feat not many other teams have been able to do recently. The Clips are holding their own, putting in solid team efforts in the absence of their two best players.
Phoenix won’t be an easy team to hang with. The Suns have won their last five straight, and 16 of their last 17. Chris Paul and Devin Booker have been phenomenal for the Suns all season long, and they’re likely to lead the team to another victory tonight. But a victory by at least 14 points? They’ll have to rely on Deandre Ayton going toe-to-toe with Ivica Zubac under the rim, while the Clippers can also put some pressure on the perimeter with guys like Terance Mann and Reggie Jackson.
It will be an entertaining battle between the two sides and while the Suns shouldn’t have much trouble squeezing out a win, I think the Clippers keep it close enough to cover the spread.
Over/Under: Over 223.5 (-110)
LA battled hard to get that win over the Warriors last night, and now it’ll head out on the road and take on the other toughest team in the league with some players who are sure to be tired. Don’t be surprised to see LA’s defense somewhat lacking, and the Suns trying to pick up the pace and take advantage of that.
On top of that, both teams have been hitting the over more consistently in recent play, with both sides hitting over in seven of their last nine.
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