New Orleans Pelicans vs Phoenix Suns betting tips and predictions for Friday’s NBA game at Smoothie King Center. It’s a battle between the two top ranked teams in the Western Conference as the Pelicans host the Suns in what will be their 2nd meeting of the season. Read on for all our free predictions and betting tips.
New Orleans Pelicans
T
he young Pelicans are exceeding all expectations so far this season as they find themselves top of the conference for the first time in a long time. They have a tough task at hand tonight though as they welcome the Phoenix Suns to town, a team that’s already beaten them 124-111 earlier this season.
That game was played on the road, so tonight’s is a good opportunity to get revenge for that defeat. The Pels come into this one after a tight win over Detroit, their 5th straight win. They are 10-3 at home this season and look like the team to beat right now. The bad news is they’ll be without both Brandon Ingram and Herbert Jones here, while Jose Alvarado is questionable after leaving the last game with a rib injury. Nevertheless, New Orleans has 8 wins in 9 games, 7 of which were against Western Conference teams.
Phoenix Suns
The Suns also have injury woes, but they finally got Chris Paul back who missed the last month or so with a heel injury. It might take some time for him to fit back in to the line-up, they just got beat by the Boston Celtics 125-98 in their last game.
It was their 3rd defeat in 4 games, but what’s more concerning is the fashion in which they get beat. Big man Deandre Ayton is playing hot and cold, some people are saying he would prefer to be traded after the offseason arguments with head coach Monty Williams. I wouldn’t read too much into that personally, but one thing is for sure. If Ayton isn’t at the top of his game tonight, the Suns won’t stand much of a chance.
I’m more inclined to backing the team which has way less noise in their locker room. The Pelicans are playing like a real group, head coach Willie Green has them playing above what they are realistically capable, so why not give them a shot here and back them to surprise the Suns at home?
New Orleans Pelicans vs Phoenix Suns Predictions & Odds
I know losing Ingram and Jones will be a big blow to the ambitions of the Pelicans here, but they still have a couple of players capable of scoring 30+ points on any given night. Both Zion Williamson and C.J. McCollum are certified scorers, each in his own way.
They will be a handful for the Suns on defense, especially Zion who is a match-up nightmare on most nights. The total has been landing consistently in meetings between these two teams in New Orleans, with the last 5 games cashing on that bet. The two teams are averaging a combined 226 points per game in the last 10 meetings, while the O/U numbers are at 7-3 during that stretch. After seeing the first meeting of the season finish 124-111 in favor of Phoenix, I believe we are in for a similar scoreline in tonight’s game, so let’s back the over.
