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Edgar Chaput
Los Angeles Clippers vs. Phoenix Suns Game 1 Prediction, NBA Odds
There is a reason the Suns overtook the Clippers for fourth in the Western Conference. They have a great lineup when healthy, and are now bolstered by KD, but LA still has Kawhi Leonard, a proven winner.
We’re still a couple of days away from Game 1, but the NBA odds have placed the Suns as considerable -7.0 favourites. The total has been calculated at 225.5.
Clippers vs. Suns NBA Playoffs Betting Odds
Road teams won all four of the regular season meetings. The first two were in California, both claimed by the Suns (pre-Kevin Durant’s arrival), and the latter two in Arizona, both won by the Clippers. The last one (April 9) did not feature any of the usual Phoenix starters, so LA has yet to face the Suns at the height of their powers.
LA was a respectable road team, finishing with a 21-20 record. While Tyronn Lue’s unit doesn’t rank especially high in many offensive categories, they are efficient from three-point range to the tune of 38.1 per cent, good for third in the NBA. It hasn’t helped them with overall scoring given their 19th ranking in points per game. It’s doubtful how much LA can be trusted against the spread. They failed to cover four of their last five opportunities and were only 40-42 for the season.
Pheonix enters this latest postseason adventure with sky-high expectations. Devin Booker is a star, Chris Paul brings veteran leadership, Deandre Ayton is a rebounding machine, and of course they now have KD. Don’t forget that this team played in the NBA Finals two summers ago. Injuries have plagued them, hence why it feels as though the group never found its rhythm. Even KD is listed as day-to-day. They’re a tough bet on the spread as well, having only covered six of their last 16 games.
Los Angeles Clippers
How many more seasons can the Clippers possess a nice lineup and not play up to expectations? Paul George is listed as Out (timeline uncertain) so that already doesn’t help.
Bringing in veteran Eric Gordon from Houston was a good move and bolstered the bench. Nicolas Batum can have a great game every now and then, and Norman Powell won a championship with Leonard in Toronto in 2019, but having Russell Westbrook is as much an advantage as it is a liability these days. It isn’t that LA lacks talent. A glance at their lineup suggests they have it in them to cause damage in the playoffs. The issue is consistency. It’s as if the group lacks solid chemistry. The lack of it is felt within games. They’ll go up by a bunch and then finish meekly in the second half. Tyronn Lue is a smart, experienced, championship-winning coach, but it doesn’t feel as though he’s figured out how to get the very best out of this group. The Clippers can play well, but will they?
Phoenix Suns
KD, Bismack Biyombo, and Cameron Payne are all key components to this team’s success and, unfortunately, each is currently listed as Day-to-Day. On the flip side, they can rely on solid depth to get them out of trouble.
The move to get Durant before the trade deadline mostly paid off. Phoenix played a bit better down the stretch than it had during the first few months of the regular season, but injuries condemned them for large stretches and still are today. This is a team that can be great if everyone is healthy, but they simply haven’t this year. What can be the difference maker in this series is that despite all the offensive firepower the Suns possess, they’re a terrific defensive unit (111.6 points per outing, good for sixth). As we’ve established, the Clippers aren’t a great threat on the attack.
LAC
PHO