After Game 1 of their first round playoff series, the Phoenix Suns looked like they would roll to victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. But after a Game 2 where the Pelicans picked up a win and the Suns picked up a key injury, this series has become a lot more interesting. In our NBA picks for Friday night, we look at Suns vs Pelicans Game 3, as this series could be in the process of changing drastically.
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Suns vs Pelicans Game 3 Betting Pick
This game will be played at Smoothie King Center at 9:30 PM ET on Friday, April 22, 2022.
Why Bet The Pelicans:
✅ The injury to Devin Booker really changes the offense of the Suns in a negative way. Booker is a threat that requires constant attention from opposing defenses, and his absence will allow the Pelicans to stay attached to their defensive assignments more often. That will help the Pelicans pick up a win in Game 3 to take a 2-1 series lead.
✅ Second chance points have been a huge factor in this series, and the Pelicans have benefited from them greatly. New Orleans has a 44-16 advantage in the second chance points department in this series so far, and will continue to press that advantage at home in Game 3. Jonas Valanciunas will be especially influential on the offensive glass to help generate more second chances.
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✅ After a poor performance in Game 1 of this series, Brandon Ingram delivered in a big way with 37 points in Game 2. Now that the jitters are gone after his first playoff games, Ingram should be able to continue to attack effectively against a Suns team that is without its best player in Devin Booker.
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns were huge favorites to advance heading into their first round series against the New Orleans Pelicans. But their series price has come way down after splitting the first two games at home and losing Devin Booker to injury. Now, the Suns need to find a way to replace the production of their best offensive player on the road in a pivotal Game 3.
Phoenix still has a ton of offensive weapons to choose from, as players like Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson can pick up some of the scoring slack left by Booker’s absence. But the added offensive responsibilities for those players and the rest of the Suns’ lineup could sap some of the defensive energy that makes the Suns so great.
New Orleans Pelicans
One of the biggest surprises early in the NBA Playoffs has been the performance of the New Orleans Pelicans. They split the first two games of this series in Phoenix, and will look to take advantage of Devin Booker’s absence to take a 2-1 lead in Game 3. If that is going to happen, the Pelicans will need to lock in on the defensive end against the Suns that are still available to play.
New Orleans will also need to continue to lock in on the glass, as they have been the far better rebounding team in this series so far. That advantage has been especially important on the offensive glass, where the Pelicans have built a +28 edge in second chance points. Those extra points combined with the injury to Booker could have the Pelicans feeling like an upset is truly possible in this series.