Los Angeles Clippers vs. Phoenix Suns Series Predictions with Betting Odds
The Phoenix Suns went all in, acquiring Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets at the trade deadline. Despite their 2021 Finals appearance, and locking down a top 2 seed in each of the last 2 seasons, the upper management wanted to solidify their chances of securing a title and gave Devin Booker and Chris Paul another superstar. Their first test is a hungry Clippers team, who also picked up valuable pieces at the deadline. The Clippers duo of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard have failed to deliver the franchise’s first title, but the arrival of several key depth players have the Clippers built for a deep playoff run. One of these giants will fall in the first round, while the victor will be confident they can take down whoever stands in their path.
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Phoenix Suns:
The Suns have found themselves at the top of the regular season standings for the last few years but haven’t been able to bring home a title for Phoenix. A blowout Game 7 loss against the Mavericks last year left a bitter taste in fans’ mouths. And after a mediocre start to the season, they decided to ship Mikal Bridges and a boatload of draft picks for Kevin Durant.
While Durant has played only 8 games for the Suns, he’s gone a perfect 8-0 with his new team. There is no denying that Durant is the star of the team, and the Suns are well aware their title window is closing fast. KD may still be putting up solid numbers, but the 34-year-old isn’t getting any younger. And considering his injury history, I wouldn’t be banking on his career to continue much longer. Despite his age, Durant still has his jump shot. He’s gone an electric 53.7% from deep scoring 26.0 PPG during his short Phoenix tenure, and his health and shooting will be critical for the Suns success.
Co-star Devin Booker will have to get used to his new role. Booker was the undeniable top option in Phoenix before Durant’s arrival. And while Chris Paul may have still been the leader, Booker was the scorer. His role has been slightly reduced, and it’s never easy going from the main attraction to the backup dancer. However, Booker will be prioritizing winning a championship and will not let his ego get in the way of the team. His 27.8 PPG may tick down slightly, but the final goal remains the same.
Rounding out the starting 5 are Chris Paul, Deandre Ayton, Josh Okogie. The Suns have a deep starting 5, but their bench is lacking quality. Terrence Ross can always heat up in a hurry. However, when Durant and/or Booker is on the bench, the Suns may get overpowered.
Realistically, it’s difficult to pick out many other weaknesses in Phoenix. They’re solid on the glass, don’t turn the ball over, and hit their 3’s. Once you factor in their perfect record with their shiny new toy in Durant, the Suns are the deserved favorites to emerge from the West.
LA Clippers:
The Clippers have baffled me all season long. George and Leonard are more than capable of leading this team to greatness, but they haven’t been able to stay on the court together. In their 4 seasons in LA, the duo has played only 118 games together. They’ve gone an immaculate 83-35 when they play together, but consistently staying healthy has been a major concern. Heading into the series, it’s a familiar tune for LA, as George is expected to miss some -- if not all -- of the series with a right knee sprain.
Kawhi Leonard has shown he can carry a franchise to a championship and is one of three players to win FMVP with two different teams. His elite defense and ability to make critical shots, as we saw during Toronto’s title run, can be a real difference-maker. When Leonard is able to suit up, he’s often the star of the show. Injuries may ruin the Clippers chance at a title. However, as long as Leonard is healthy, his 23.8 PPG and 41.6% shooting from deep will give them a chance to emerge victorious.
An underrated addition for the Clippers was picking up former MVP Russell Westbrook. Westbrook is one of the most hated players in the league, yet he consistently puts up solid numbers. It’s a common criticism that Westbrook is always looking to pad his stats, but he’s getting those assists and rebounds fair and square. If the ball is in his hands in a clutch situation, he will not crack under the pressure and is a valuable third option, and likely the second option for this series. While he may not be averaging a 31.6 PPG with 42 triple doubles as he did in 2017, he is still an efficient scorer, who is posting a career high 35.6% shooting percentage from behind the arc with the Clippers.
The Clippers picked up valuable depth players at the deadline, as Eric Gordon, Mason Plumlee, Bones Hyland, and, of course, Westbrook, all instantly make this team better. Losing sharpshooter Luke Kennard hurt, but the Clippers became one of the deepest rosters in the league.
While there are no glaring holes in LA, the Clippers don’t really excel at anything, either. They’re 10th in 3-pointers per game and are outside the Top 10 in all the other major categories. However, a 17th ranked offense and 18th ranked defense doesn’t tell the whole story, as a healthy, improved Clippers lineup is a force to be reckoned with. At their best, the Clippers are among the best. However, if they’re mental and physical resolve is tested, they could be in for a monumental collapse.
Suns vs Clippers Prediction:
This series will be entertaining. The Western Conference is so deep that we are getting treated to elite level matchups in the very first round. No one would’ve been surprised if these two were squaring off for the Western Conference title, but one of these teams will fall before their playoff journey truly gets underway. The Suns have the stars but lack the depth. The Clippers depth will come in handy. However, will they be able to compete with a loaded Suns starting five?
This series will come down to Game 3. I expect the Suns to hold down home-court advantage, and improve KD’s record to 10-0 with the franchise. However, once the series shifts to LA, the Clippers have a chance. The Suns have struggled on the road, going just 17-24. And if the Clippers can avoid the 0-3 hole, they have a great chance to win the series.
On the outside, Durant, Booker, and Paul have already formed a lethal offensive connection. And while Leonard will do his best to lock up Durant, Booker is more than capable of taking the reins. Paul’s awareness in the backcourt, coupled with Booker and Durant’s scoring abilities, make the Suns and offensive juggernaut difficult to contain. The Clippers are a middle-of-the-pack team on both ends of the court. And with serious concerns surrounding Paul George, the Suns will take advantage. When it’s all said and done, the Clippers will make it closer than expected, but the Durant led Suns will prevail in 7 games.
Prediction: Phoenix Suns in 7 games.
Best Bets:
While I expect the Suns to overpower the Clippers, I can’t get behind these odds. Phoenix is a whopping -500 favorite, while the Clippers are +375 to advance to the second round. I understand George is still out, but the Clippers are more than capable of competing with the Suns and will occasionally come out on top. If George was healthy, these odds would be far closer to -200/+160, and I feel as though the Clippers depth players are more than capable of picking up the slack.
The first bet will be on the Clippers +1.5 games at +175 odds. Even if the Suns prevail, there is more than enough value on this series staying close at +175. In a similar vein, the Over 5.5 Games at -110 odds is very tempting. The Clippers are more than good enough to avoid a 4-1 or 4-0 series loss, and it’s very unlikely the Clippers will finish off the Suns in 5 or fewer games. There is certainly some double dipping here, but the Clippers keeping it close is one of my favorite series bets of the year.
The final bet of the series is for Ivan Zubac to haul in the most rebounds at -110 odds. This is a two-horse race between Zubac and Ayton, who are both coming at it at -110. However, Zubac has gotten 8+ rebounds in his last 5 games against the Suns, and the battle down low should go his way. It won’t be a blowout, but Zubac will be solely focused on obtaining rebounds, while Ayton will be distracted with actually trying to score under the bright lights.
Pick: LA Clippers (+1.5) +175
Pick: Clippers vs Suns Over 5.5 Games -110
Pick: Ivan Zubac Most Rebounds -110
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