The New Orleans Pelicans (28-40) host the Phoenix Suns (54-14) Tuesday at the Smoothie King Center for an 8 p.m. ET tip-off. Below, we look at the Suns vs. Pelicans odds and lines, and make our expert NBA picks, predictions and bets.
Phoenix has won 3 of its last 4 games, which includes a 140-111 beatdown of the Los Angeles Lakers at home Sunday. The Suns are 5-2 straight up (SU) but just 3-4 against the spread (ATS) since March 2.
New Orleans snapped a 4-game losing skid (0-4 ATS) Sunday by crushing the Houston Rockets 130-105 at home. The Pelicans have regressed due to the injury of SF Brandon Ingram and SG C.J. McCollum being in health and safety protocols.
The Pelicans blasted the Suns 117-102 in Phoenix Feb. 25 as 6-point underdogs. However, Ingram and McCollum combined for 60 points on 20-for–35 shooting, but Ingram will miss Tuesday’s game.
Suns at Pelicans odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 1:50 p.m. ET.
- Money line (ML): Suns -190 (bet $190 to win $100) | Pelicans +155 (bet $100 to win $155)
- Against the spread: Suns -4.5 (-110) | Pelicans +4.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 230.5 (O: -112 | U: -108)
Suns at Pelicans key injuries
Suns
- SF Cameron Johnson (quad) out
- PG Chris Paul (hand) out
Pelicans
- SF Brandon Ingram (hamstring) out
- SG C.J. McCollum (health and safety protocols) available
[tipico]
Suns at Pelicans odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Suns 118, Pelicans 104
Money line
LEAN to the SUNS (-190).
Their implied win probability is 65.5% and Phoenix wins this game more than two-thirds of the time. The Suns are 20-3 SU as road favorites and the Pelicans are 8-16 SU as home underdogs.
More importantly, the Pelicans score 12.1 fewer points per 100 possessions with Ingram out, which grades in the 96th percentile of wings, according to CleaningTheGlass.com (CTG).
Ingram (22.8 points per game) is New Orleans’ second-leading scorer behind McCollum (27.1 PPG), who has only played 12 games for the Pelicans. McCollum actually has a minus-2.3 adjusted on/off net rating, per CTG.
I only LEAN SUNS (-190) because I’m confident enough in Phoenix to lay the points at a cheaper price.
PLAY: Free, daily sports pick’em contests. Play now!
Against the spread
BET SUNS -4.5 (-110) for 1 unit because Phoenix is 14-9 ATS as road favorites with a plus-4.8 ATS margin.
Also, the Suns should get retribution from the beatdown the Pelicans gave them in Phoenix in their second game after the All-Star break. NOLA outscored Phoenix in three of the four quarters and outperformed in three of the “four factors.”
But Phoenix head coach Monty Williams should have his guys better prepared to stop a New Orleans offense without its most versatile scorer.
The SUNS LAYING 4.5 POINTS (-110) is my favorite wager in this game.
Over/Under
LEAN UNDER 230.5 (-108) because everyone is betting the Over so the total has been increased 5 points from the opener and I think Phoenix’s defense locks up NOLA’s offense.
The Suns are 10-14 O/U as road favorites with a minus-4.0 total margin, which tells me Phoenix’s defense takes care of business on the road.
Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, Sportsbook Wire’s official sportsbook partner in CO, NJ and soon IA. Bet now!
If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow Geoff Clark on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Additional NBA sports coverage:
HoopsHype | Celtics Wire | LeBron Wire | Lonzo Wire | Nets Wire | Rockets Wire | Sixers Wire | Thunder Wire | Warriors Wire | Rookie Wire | List Wire
Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA).
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1622]