The Phoenix Suns won’t have Devin Booker for the rest of this series. However, that didn’t stop the Suns from defeating the New Orleans Pelicans, on the road, 114-111 in Game 3 of the First Round in the West.
With Devin Booker out and the Suns leading the Pelicans 2-1 in the First Round of the NBA Playoffs, can Phoenix get its third win in the series? Below, we’ll break down the NBA odds and give you a winning pick!
Phoenix Suns vs. New Orleans Pelicans
Sunday, April 24, 2022 – 09:30 PM EDT at Smoothie King Center
This NBA Game 4 is between two stars on both teams. Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton combined for 56 points in their win over the Pelicans. Meanwhile, Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum added 64 points combined in the loss. It really comes down to those two stars on both teams but are we really going to act like the Pelicans are on the same level as the Suns?
The Suns finished the season 64-18 while the Pelicans went 36-46. Sure, the Suns are without Booker, but they were without Chris Paul for a longer period and still found a way to win plenty of games in the regular season.
With the Suns, it’s not just about all-star power. It’s about culture. It’s about a team that expects to win every time they’re out on the floor. The Suns continue to limit turnovers on the offensive end and get quality shots up with a 55.5% effective field goal percentage.
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On the defensive end, it’s the same thing, just reversed. The Suns hold teams to a 51.5% effective field goal percentage and earn 14.8% turnovers. Phoenix is simply well-coached and always a little bit more prepared.
The Pelicans are shooting a 51.9% effective field goal percentage, which is 25th in the NBA. They also turn the ball over at a high rate of 14.5%. The Suns might have to work a little bit harder on the defensive glass, but ultimately, the Suns are an average team when it comes to rebounding.
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On the defensive end, the Pelicans are also allowing teams to shoot a 55.1% effective field goal percentage. So to get this straight, the Pelicans are one of the worst at shooting an effective field goal percentage and one of the worst at defending an effective field goal percentage.
And now despite the Suns winning nearly 30 more games than the Pelicans in the regular season, the Pelicans are just 2.5 point underdogs at home because Devin Booker is out.
Prediction
I’m not getting fooled. The Phoenix Suns are absolutely the better team on paper and should be able to earn the win on the road. Chris Paul showed up on the offensive end when he was needed the most and I think people forget how capable he is of scoring when it’s needed.
The Suns’ bench didn’t perform all that well against the Pelicans in Game 3, but it really can’t get much worse. For your NBA picks, look for the Suns to be prepared and ready to go for Game 4.
NBA Pick: Suns -2.5 (-110) with BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
