NBA Odds: Clippers-Suns prediction, pick, how to watch

Our coverage of the final NBA games of the 2023 Regular Season will continue with a prediction and pick for this Western Conference matchup between two championship contenders. The Los Angeles Clippers (43-38) will visit the Phoenix Suns (45-36). Both teams are cruising into the playoffs,

The Los Angeles Clippers have the slight edge in the Western standings in fifth place, but are tied with the Golden State Warriors. With Golden State playing in Portland today, it’ll be pivotal for the Clippers to get this win here and retain their fifth spot. Moving down in the rankings could be the difference between facing the Suns or Kings in the first round of the playoffs.

The Phoenix Suns have effectively clinched the 4-seed in the West and will face either the Clippers or Warriors in the first round of the playoffs. This could be a huge game as they will potentially face this Clippers team in a week from now, so look for the Suns to try and get a good look at them while hosting them on their home floor. Having won seven games in a row before their last loss to the Lakers, the Suns are hitting their peak stride at the perfect time.

Here are the Clippers-Suns NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel

NBA Odds: Clippers-Suns Odds

Los Angeles Clippers: -10 (-110)

Phoenix Suns: +10 (-110)

Over: 225 (-110)

Under: 225 (-110)

How To Watch Clippers vs. Suns

TV: Bally Sports, Regional Coverage

Stream: fuboTV, NBA League Pass

Time: 3:30 p.m. ET/ 12:30 p.m. PT

*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why The Clippers Could Cover The Spread

The Clippers had a huge win their last time out against the Trailblazers as they further avoided the play-in tournament. They’re playing meaningful games all the way down the stretch and will have another pivotal task in front of them tonight. Being tied with the Warriors, the Clippers will be picking their poison either way by having to face the Suns or Kings in the playoffs. They’ll be looking to get healthy before the postseason and will hope that Russell Westbrook can continue to turn their team around for the better. Kawhi Leonard was great in their last game with 27 points and 10/10 from the line as Norman Powell chimed in with 23 off the bench.

The Clippers will win this game if they play just a few of their key starters and realize that this is an important game to have. By locking up the fifth-seed, they’ll be able to meet with this Suns team in the playoffs, who they won their last meeting with. The spread is pretty wide but for a game that doesn’t mean much to the Suns, the Clippers should look to take advantage of this opportunity and lock in their spot in the playoffs.

Why The Suns Could Cover The Spread

The Suns will be sitting back and watching the scoreboards today as they wait to see if they will face the Clippers or Warriors in the first round of the playoffs. The Suns should feel confident about facing this Clippers team while leading their season series 2-1. Their two wins against LA weren’t close as they won both by 15+ points. They’ll be sitting the following players to avoid injury: Booker, Ayton, Biyombo, Paul, Durant, Payne, and Warren. They’ll look towards their bench to gain valuable minutes before the playoffs and see how they stack up against the Clippers.

The Suns can win this game if they focus on shutting down Kawhi Leonard and Russell Westbrook. If they can force bad shots from the defensive end, they could win this game if they’re the more aggressive rebounding team. Still, they’ll be outmatched by the star power of the Clippers, so look for the Suns to play as a team in trying to keep a manageable deficit throughout this one.

Final Clippers-Suns Prediction & Pick

The Clippers will likely be sending out their starters in this one, which is indicative of the betting odds and spread. The Clippers will look to be the winners here as this game matters to them, so there’s no shame in throwing them in a parlay with how big this spread is. Still, I think they can cover if they can exploit the mismatch with Phoenix’s stars sitting this one out. Let’s take the Clippers to cover here with the prediction.

Final Clippers-Suns Prediction & Pick: Los Angeles Clippers -10 (-110)