The New Orleans Pelicans have made their first round series with the Phoenix Suns a surprisingly competitive one. But the Suns picked up a key win in Game 5 to take a 3-2 lead and push the Pelicans to the brink of elimination. In our NBA betting picks for Thursday night, we look at Suns vs Pelicans Game 6 and determine whether the Suns will be advancing or if there will be a Game 7 this weekend.
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Suns vs Pelicans Game 6 Betting Pick
This game will be played at Smoothie King Center at 7:30 PM ET on Thursday, April 28, 2022.
Why Bet The Pelicans:
✅ The Pelicans split their previous two home games against the Suns in this series, and will be very competitive in this game as well. At a plus price, it is worth taking a shot at the Pelicans here, who have proven that they can push the Suns to the limit on their home floor with both games in New Orleans being competitive going into the fourth quarter.
✅ There has been a clear difference in the offensive quality of the Pelicans at home versus on the road in this series. In their two home games in this series, the Pelicans averaged 114.5 points per game. In three games in Phoenix, the Pelicans averaged 107.7 points per game. The Pelicans will see a bump offensively again in Game 6, and send this series to a Game 7.
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✅ The Pelicans have continued to win the battle on the offensive glass in this series, grabbing 13 offensive boards to just six for the Suns in Game 5. That should continue in New Orleans, as Jonas Valanciunas has been unstoppable when it comes to grabbing offensive rebounds throughout this series.
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns got a huge Game 5 win over the Pelicans earlier this week, moving them to within one game of advancing to the second round of the playoffs. Given that Devin Booker has been out since the middle of Game 2, their ability to get through a difficult series has been impressive thus far. But the job for the Suns is not done yet, and they will need to win on the road on Thursday night to avoid facing a Game 7.
In Game 5, the Suns got off to a fast start, taking a 12-point lead after the first quarter. So far, the Suns have not been able to get out to a start like that in the two games in New Orleans. If that changes in Game 6, the Suns could advance to the second round without having to face a deciding game in Phoenix over the weekend.
New Orleans Pelicans
Despite not having a lot of playoff experience coming into this series, the New Orleans Pelicans have been hanging tough with the defending Western Conference champions. That has been especially true when the Pelicans have been at home, as they have held leads in both home games of this series despite splitting those two contests. Now, the Pelicans face a must-win game at home as they look to force a deciding game.
In order to do that, the Pelicans will need to continue to control the offensive glass against the Suns. Second chance points were a huge advantage for the Pelicans early in the series, and offensive rebounds have remained in the Pelicans’ favor throughout. If they can keep giving themselves second chances, the Pelicans should be able to win at home and send this series to a seventh contest.