One of the first marquee matchups of the 2022-23 NBA season will take place in Los Angeles. The Phoenix Suns have their sights set on a return to the NBA Finals this season, but have struggled out of the gate. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Clippers hope that being healthy again this year will help them make another deep run in the Western Conference. In our NBA picks for Sunday night, we break down Suns vs Clippers in what should be a game that tells us a lot about both teams early in the year.
Suns vs Clippers FanDuel Sportsbook Promo Code
At FanDuel Sportsbook, first time bettors can take advantage of a valuable promotion when betting on Suns vs Clippers. Those who hit the Claim Offer button below and sign up at FanDuel can put $5 on this NBA matchup. In return, they will receive $150 in free bets, along with three months of NBA League Pass. Getting a 30/1 payout on this game, and being able to watch the entire league for three months, is a value that is too good to pass up.
Gambling Problem? Call or TEXT 1-800-Gambler 21+
Suns vs Clippers Betting Pick
This game will be played at Crypto.com Arena at 10:00 PM ET on Sunday, October 23, 2022.
Why Bet The Clippers:
✅ The Clippers will have a rested Kawhi Leonard available for this game. Leonard did not play in the first leg of the team’s back to back against the Sacramento Kings on Saturday night. While Leonard is just returning to the court after missing the entirety of last season, his perimeter defense will come in handy against a Suns team with multiple weapons at his position.
✅ Defensively, the Clippers have been excellent so far this season. They have allowed 103 points per game through their first two games of the season. That ranks second among Western Conference teams coming into Sunday’s action, with only the Dallas Mavericks allowing fewer points per game. The Clippers will continue their run of defensive dominance at home here.
Gambling Problem? Call or TEXT 1-800-Gambler 21+
✅ Phoenix has really struggled to start this season. Their record sits at 1-1, but they needed a miracle comeback in the fourth quarter to get their lone win against the Dallas Mavericks. Against a Clippers team outperforming them on both ends of the floor right now, the struggles for the Suns will continue en route to a 1-2 start to the season.
Phoenix Suns
The beginning of this season for the Phoenix Suns has not gone according to plan. While they did get revenge on the Dallas Mavericks for ousting them from the playoffs, they needed a huge comeback to do so. Phoenix followed that result up with an overtime loss in Portland against a Trail Blazers team that lacks any sort of bite on the defensive end. Here, the Suns will look to get back above .500 in the young NBA season. More importantly, they will aim to play better as a group.
Coming into this contest, the Suns will hope to get more out of Chris Paul than they have in the first two games of this year. Paul is averaging just 8.0 points per game and shooting 35% from the field. He has yet to make a three-point shot, and has been left on the bench during the Suns’ comeback win over the Mavericks. Despite averaging over 10 assists per game through the first two games of the year, Paul’s lackluster offensive start is a concern.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers have started their season with two straight wins, beating the Lakers and Kings. Their victory over the Kings came on Saturday night, with Paul George leading the team to that win with a 40-point performance. George should have his running mate Kawhi Leonard back for this contest against the Suns, after Leonard sat out the first game of the team’s back-to-back against Sacramento.
While the return of the George-Leonard duo has been encouraging for the Clippers, their defense has been the real star of the show so far in Los Angeles. They have yet to allow 110 points in a game through two contests this season, and have outrebounded both of their opponents thus far. If they can continue to control the glass in this Suns vs Clippers game, the Clippers could be looking at a 3-0 start.