The New Orleans Pelicans take on the Phoenix Suns for the first time since December 2019, and their Tuesday’s clash at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona, is undoubtedly one of the most intriguing matchups of Week 2.
Both Pelicans and Suns hope for a successful season and a playoff berth at the end of it. Therefore, I’ve prepared the best betting pick for Tuesday’s game between New Orleans and Phoenix along with the latest odds update on Sugarhouse Sportsbook.
The Pelicans barely outlasted the Spurs for their first home win of the season
After a 113-99 victory at the Toronto Raptors in the opener and a 111-98 defeat at the Miami Hear, the New Orleans Pelicans defeated the San Antonio Spurs this past Sunday, 98-95, in their first outing on the home court this season.
The Pels scored just 19 points in the fourth quarter, but they managed to resist the Spurs in the final two minutes. New Orleans shot only 38.3% from the field and 20.8% from deep. However, the Pels committed just eight turnovers while forcing 15 on the other side.
Brandon Ingram is doing a great job for the Pels, averaging 26.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game. Zion Williamson is adding 21.7 points on 35.3 minutes on the floor per game, while Lonzo Ball is posting 12.7 points, 5.0 boards, 4.3 dimes, and 2.7 steals a night.
The Suns got revenge in Sacramento on a back-to-back outing
The Phoenix Suns had a back-to-back set in Sacramento last weekend after beating the Dallas Mavericks 106-102 as 1-point home favorites in the opener. They lost to the Kings 106-103 on Saturday but bounced back with a nice 116-100 victory on Sunday.
The Suns had a terrible shooting night Saturday, making 41.8% of their field goals and 25.0% of their 3-pointers. They looked sharp the next day, shooting 48.9% from the field and 40.0% from beyond the arc. Interestingly, the Suns committed only 20 turnovers through those two games at Sacramento.
While the Suns take care of the ball, their best player Devin Booker is averaging a whopping 6.3 turnovers per game. Booker is adding 22.7 points and 3.7 dimes a night, while Deandre Ayton is posting 11.0 points and 11.7 boards per game. Mikal Bridges has been terrific so far with 16.3 points and 5.7 boards a night.
[metabet_core_odds_compare query=”nba/suns” size=”300×250″ site_id=”atsio” css=”float:right; margin-left:10px”]Trends:
New Orleans:
- 7-3 ATS in the last ten games against Phoenix
Phoenix:
- 1-6 ATS in the last seven home games against New Orleans
The Winner Prediction
This is the clash between two young and talented teams, so I expect to see a tight battle with a lot of ups and downs on both sides. The Suns opened as 3-point favorites on Sugarhouse, and this game could be easily decided by one or two possessions.
Therefore, I’m backing the Pelicans to cover a 5-point spread, while picking any team to win by five or fewer points at +180 odds seems like a very tempting wager.
I just cannot separate these two teams. They match up with each other well. The upset is always a possibility, but I think this game could easily go either way and will be decided late down the stretch.
Pick: Take New Orleans +5.0 at -150
The Total:
With Deandre Ayton on one side and Steven Adams on the other, I don’t see these two clubs playing at a very fast pace. The Pelicans average 101.3 possessions per 48 minutes (17th), while the Suns tally 100.3 (22nd).
The under is 11-2 in New Orleans’ last 13 games overall, and it is 4-0 in the Suns’ previous four showings. On the other hand, the last five encounters between the Pelicans and Suns went in the over.
The line is a tricky one at 221.5 points. Each one of those five tilts between New Orleans and Phoenix produced way more than 230 points in total, so I’m going with the over, hoping to see some good offensive execution by both teams.
Pick: Go over 221.5 points at -110