Phoenix Suns vs. New Orleans Pelicans Prediction, NBA Odds
After a surprise 125-114 upset win on the road in Game 2, the Pelicans have a chance to take the lead in this first round series on Friday when Game 3 shifts to New Orleans. Devin Booker was dominant in the first half of Game 2 before leaving in the third quarter with right thigh tightness, leading the Pelicans to cover the spread as 9.5-point underdogs. Booker’s injury status could be a major factor in the rest of this series.
Phoenix is a slim 1.5-point favourite to win Game 3 on the NBA odds, with a total of 216.0.
Suns vs. Pelicans NBA Betting Odds
Take a moment to consider how serious Booker’s injury status is to oddsmakers. The NBA’s best regular season team by eight games, the Suns, are favoured by less than two points against a New Orleans Pelicans team that finished the regular season with the 20th overall record in the NBA. Phoenix has also won seven of the last 10 meetings between these teams, including three of four in this year’s regular season. Two of this year’s regular season contests cruised above the total, averaging 239.5 points per game, while the other two stayed below the total at 215.5 ppg.
Despite Booker’s injury, Phoenix is still a -294 favourite to win the series, while the Pelicans are +210 underdogs. The series total is set at 5.5 games, with the Over favoured at -333 and the Under at +231. Although the series is favoured to end in Game 6 at +151, the favoured exact series score is actually the Suns to win in Game 7 at +250.
Phoenix Suns
Let’s rip the band-aid off for Phoenix fans quickly. Not only will Booker not play Game 3, he’s likely done for the series. The All-Star guard suffered a Grade 1 hamstring strain and could be out the next 2-3 weeks. Despite leaving in the third quarter of Game 2, Booker still managed to lead the Suns with 31 points. Booker scored all 31 points in the first half on 12 of 18 shooting, including 7 of 10 from beyond the arc.
It was shocking to see Phoenix crumble following Booker’s injury, considering this is a team that won a franchise record 64 games during the regular season. Mikal Bridges had 19 points in Game 2, while Chris Paul added 17 points and 14 assists. Paul shot just 5 of 16 from the field. Deandre Ayton finished with 10 points and nine rebounds. Bridges, Paul and Ayton all need to be better with Booker out of the lineup indefinitely. Spotty transition defence throughout the entire game was also a major contributing factor in the loss and needs to be cleaned up in Game 3.
New Orleans Pelicans
While there were likely a lot of predictions calling for a Phoenix sweep in this series, New Orleans has a massive opportunity to pull ahead if they can take advantage of the Booker injury. Brandon Ingram went off in Game 2, just missing a triple-double with 37 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. CJ McCollum added 23 points, eight assists and nine rebounds. Herb Jones had 14 points, while Larry Nance Jr. chipped in 13 points.
The Pelicans no doubt benefitted greatly from the Booker injury in Game 2, but that’s not why they won. New Orleans led 30-28 after the first quarter and actually had a 77-74 lead in the third when Booker left. It was a far cry from Game 1 when the Pelicans trailed by 19 points at the half. Shutting down Phoenix’s Paul will be a major focus in Game 3. The Suns’ offence runs though Paul and with Booker out of the equation, New Orleans can more effectively spread out their defensive scheme across the court.
PHO
NO