Free NBA Picks: Suns at Clippers Odds
by Dave Schwab - 12/30/2013
The Phoenix Suns will try and gain some ground on the first-place Los Angeles Clippers when these two Pacific Division foes clash this Monday night at the Staples Center. Tip-off is set for 10:30 p.m. (ET), and the game will be available on NBA League Pass.
Phoenix has won eight of its last 10 games, including a 115-101 romp over Philadelphia this past Saturday night as a 10.5-point home favorite to pull within a game and a half of the Clippers in the division. The Suns are 18-11 straight up on the year with a profitable 20-7-2 record against the spread.
The Clippers are coming off Saturday night’s 98-90 victory over Utah as 14.5-point favorites at home to improve to 21-11 SU overall. Despite failing to cover against the Jazz, they are 6-2 ATS in their last eight outings and 19-13 ATS this season. The total has gone “over” in 10 of 15 home games this year.
Phoenix at Los Angeles Betting Storylines
The Suns have been one of the more surprising teams this season after finishing dead-last in the Western Conference with a total of 25 wins. They are ranked ninth in the NBA in scoring with an average of 103.6 points a game while shooting a respectable 46.1 percent from the field and 37.3 percent from three-point range. Defensively, Phoenix is holding opponents to an average of 101 points a night, and the team is ranked 14th in rebounds with 43.3.
The youth movement in Phoenix has been led by Eric Bledsoe and Miles Plumlee. Bledsoe leads the team in scoring with 18.4 points, and he is hitting 49.2 percent of his shots from the floor. Plumlee has been the big man underneath with an average of 9.2 rebounds a game, including 6.3 on the defensive end of the court. Goran Dragic is also averaging over 18 points a game as part of an offensive effort that boasts seven different players scoring in double-figures.
Los Angeles is fourth in the West in the current standings behind the strength of a 13-2 SU record at home as opposed to just eight SU victories in 17 road games this year. This is another team that can light up the scoreboard with 105 points a game, and it has done a slightly better job than Phoenix on defense by holding teams to an average of 99.5 points. The Clippers are pulling down 42.9 rebounds and shooting 46.4 percent from the field.
The main cast in Los Angeles remains the same with Blake Griffin averaging 21.9 points and Chris Paul chipping in another 19.9 points. Jamal Crawford has done a good job filling in for an injured JJ Redick with16.8 points a night, and DeAndre Jordan is adding 9.3 points to a team-high 13.3 rebounds. On any given night, this lineup can compete with and beat any other team in the league, but its struggles with consistency have accounted for a few unexpected losses, especially on the road.
Phoenix at Los Angeles NBA Betting Odds and Trends
BetOnline has opened the Clippers as 7.5-point home favorites with the total line set at 210.5.
The Suns are 11-3 ATS in their last 14 road games and 13-4-1 ATS in their last 18 games following a SU win. The total has gone over in seven of their last 10 division games.
The Clippers are 4-1 ATS in their last five games against a division foe and 7-2 ATS in their last nine games against a team from the West. The total has gone over in 18 of their last 24 home games.
Head-to-head in this Pacific rivalry, the favorite is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings, and the total has stayed “under” in eight of the last 10 games.
Free NBA Picks: Phoenix at Los Angeles Betting Predictions
This will be the first meeting this season, and with the way the Suns have been playing, you can throw many of the trends from recent games between these two out the door. The Clippers are a much better team in the friendly confines of the Staples Center. And while they will probably still get the SU win on Monday night, they will also know they were in a fight after Phoenix covers with the 7.5 points.
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