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The New Orleans Pelicans (28-40) will play host to the Phoenix Suns (54-14) as the Pels look to close the gap on the ninth-place Lakers. The game will tip off tonight at 8:00 p.m. ET at Smoothie King Center.
The Suns are coming off a big 140-111 thrashing of the LA Lakers on Sunday, as Devin Booker went for 30 points and Deandre Ayton added 23 points and 16 rebounds. The league leaders have now gone 3-2 in their last five outings as they’re still navigating the rest of the regular season without Chris Paul (thumb). They’re still in a good spot even without CP3, as they’re the only team to have clinched a playoff spot so far.
The Pelicans just snapped a four-game losing streak with a 130-105 win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday. CJ McCollum has missed the last two games due to health and safety protocols, but has been upgraded to questionable ahead of tonight’s contest.
The Suns are favored by 5.5 points at DraftKings Sportsbook, with moneyline odds set at -210. The Pels come in at +175 with the point total set at 228.
Suns vs. Pelicans, 8:00 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Suns -5.5 (-110)
The Pelicans played some impressive basketball against Houston on Sunday, and they logged a 25-point win even without the help of McCollum. However, the Rockets are the current worst team in the league, and that win came off the back of four straight losses against the Nuggets, Grizzlies, Magic, and Hornets. Of course, those four losses were preceded by four straight wins, which also included a 15-point win over the Suns on the road on February 25.
Phoenix can’t quite take their foot off the gas completely even with a spot booked in the postseason, as they’ll still need to get some more wins under their belt to ensure they lock up the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. The Suns should look to put this game away early, especially against a Pelicans side who will be missing Brandon Ingram (hamstring), Larry Nance Jr. (knee), and potentially McCollum if he’s not cleared to play tonight.
The Suns just put away both the Lakers and the Heat by double-digit margins, and I’d expect them to take care of business on the road tonight.
Over/Under: Over 228 (-110)
Both teams have gone over the total in their last two games straight, and all four of those games had totals set at 222 or higher. The Pels have hit over the total in four of their last five outings, while allowing an average of 125 points per game from their opponents in that stretch. Phoenix has looked considerably better on defense, allowing just 109.8 points in their last five. In turn, the Suns have averaged 117.4 points per game themselves in that same stretch, with the Pelicans averaging 118.6. Both teams are capable of racking up plenty of points, especially recently, so take the over in this game.
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