NBA: Phoenix Suns vs Los Angeles Clippers Preview, Odds, Prediction

The Phoneix Suns continue their rampage throughout the league, and their next target are the Los Angeles Clippers. After defeating the league-leading Utah Jazz last night, Monty Williams’ side has realistic chances of reaching the franchise from Arizona and jumping over them in the first place of the conference and the league. However, they need to keep on winning, and tonight’s opponent couldn’t be tougher – the no.3 in the West, and a crew that is among the top candidates for winning the title. The Clippers look solid in recent times, but that is something expected from them at this point.

Preview

Phoenix Suns (36-14, +155) come to LA with seven wins in a row, the latest one as said, against Utah Jazz, 117-113 following overtime. It was very fun to watch this matchup, which was solved with Chris Paul’s three one minute before the end of the OT.

CP3 dropped 29 points, had nine assists and four boards, all that in 43 minutes. But what is more important, he showed that once things get tough, the Suns have s clutch player who always has a solution. Even though he isn’t stepping up too often, Paul is still among the best players in the league, but he just doesn’t want to waste his energy before the playoffs begin.

The guy who is always in 100% mode is Devin Booker. He had 35 points last night (without a single three) and terrorized the rivals’ defense as usual. Deandre Ayton posted 18 points with 12 boards, seven in offense, while Jae Crowder recorded six buckets, but 12 rebounds.

LA Clippers (34-18, -185) will play the sixth of nine consecutive matches at home this Thursday night. The first two, vs 76ers and the Bucks, ended with wins, but after that, Lue’s team lost to Magic and Nuggets, before trashing the Lakers and the Portland Trail Blazers. Now, judging by these results, it seems that they love playing against strong teams.

Trail Blazers felt what it is like to be in the Clips’ grip, as they conceded 47 points in the first period of their Tuesday’s game. The one guy who started playing well recently is Reggie Jackson, with him dropping 23 points against Portland. He often has such bursts, as Jackson scored 20 in a win against Milwaukee.

George had 36 with six threes, while Kawhi posted an all-around game with 29 points, 12 boards, and seven dimes. The Clippers didn’t have any notable stat that could amaze, but were simply much better than the rivals.

Head to Head Games

The Clippers and the Suns played one match, early in January, with the guests from LA going home with a victory in that one, 112-107. George was unstoppable with 39 buckets, while Kawhi scored just 15. Booker added 25, Ayton 24 for the hosts.

Prediction

This is going to be one hell of a game, even though the Suns’ energy bar might be a bit shorter than usual. We are not going to bet on the final result, that is, the winner of the game, but instead on the total number of points. The current line is 224 points, and for us, this is an Under, because of the Clippers’ defense, and their ability to slow down the game when needed. Also, the Suns too will play like that, because the hosts aren’t some run-and-gun team.