The Los Angeles Clippers will host the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night in the much different atmosphere than their guests. It will surely be a fast-paced game with little defense on display, so let’s dig in and see if we can make a profit out of it.
Suns at Clippers
Spread: LA Clippers -11.5 (-110) at BetDSI Sportsbook
Total: o/u 217.5 (-110)
Suns embarrassed by the opener, can make amends against L.A. teams
Big losses are the ones that the players and the coaches want to forget quickly, but the way the Phoenix Suns opened a new season in front of their own fans will be inked in the NBA history, as the Blazers gifted them the largest opening game defeat in the league history. Eric Bledsoe and Devin Booker wouldn’t run away from the responsibility after the game, stating that they are embarrassed by the way they played. They were out of whack for sure, but the loss shouldn’t be pinned on them. The entire team sucked big time.
The Suns scored only 76 points and had just 9 assists. Everyone shot poorly – as a team, Phoenix had hit 28-of-89 field goal attempts and just 7-of-27 shots from the deep. However, the lack of effort was more glaring. The Suns were never supposed to be good defensively, so giving up a bunch of points isn’t surprising (but not commendable either!). It was the pursuit of the loose balls, running in transition and weak positioning for the rebounds that was the worst. The Suns totaled 23 defensive rebounds for the game, while allowing 15 offensive boards to the Blazers.
Luckily for them, the next challenge ahead is a Lakers team that didn’t look good either. However, the Suns may not be physically prepared for the season either. Devin Booker cramped up in just 27 minutes, Bledsoe and Chandler haven’t played much this year and Tyler Ulis got a leg bruise, making him questionable to play versus the Lakers tonight. If that’s the case, the Suns might suffer for bad case of fatigue in the Clippers game, so watch out for how the players move late in the game against the Lakers.
Place: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Date/Time: Saturday, October 21st, 2017. 10:30 PM ET
TV Coverage: NBATV, Fox Sports Arizona
The Clippers leave no doubt that they still rule L.A.
The Los Angeles Clippers easily defeated their in-town rivals on Thursday evening, running them out of Staples by a score of 92-108, and the final score doesn’t do enough justice on how one-sided this affair was. The Clippers started both Beverley and Teodosic in the backcourt, leaving Austin Rivers on the bench, and it turned out an excellent decision. Beverley was hyped up to showcase his defensive prowess against the rookie sensation Lonzo Ball. To put it mildly, Beverley ate him for dinner. Teodosic runs the offense like a man possessed, and the game was up and down the entire way. Had either of the two guard shot any better (or Rivers, who was terrible off the bench), the Clippers would have won this by 30.
But, it would be fair to give credit to the backcourt here, as Griffin and Jordan were the main contributors. Griffin felt comfortable in the main role, scoring 29 points and grabbing 12 rebounds, showcasing the three-point shot he added this offseason (he was 3-of-6 against the Lakers). Jordan was equally impressive with 14 points and 24 boards in just 32 minutes. These Clippers are going to be fun.
After a day of rest, they have another easy game against the Suns, so it’s a nice, easy warm-up period for this team. They get another two days off after it and stay in L.A. to host Utah Jazz. Practice time.
Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Clippers Game Trends & Prediction
A unique ranking system – AdmiRank helps you understand how good NBA teams are on a scale to 100. Not even accounting for the Lakers game in the rankings, but the Suns are facing a downward spiral. Clippers are trending up and the difference between the two couldn’t be more obvious.
We know that after falling down 58 on day one, the Suns will be obliged to at least TRY. How long will it last and where will it take them is yet to be seen, but they aren’t in the same tier as the Clippers. The window of the Pacific’s second best team being underrated is closing fast, so make sure you ride the wave.
The odds setters have done everything they can to squash any idea of playing against the Suns in this meeting, setting a very high spread (LAC -11.5), so there’s not enough juice for us on the handicap betting. I’m going with -12, in case you wonder. However, I’m after the over points here. 217.5 points is not nearly enough for this game, despite all the potential defensive effort by Suns. The pace will be frantic, so I’m going with 225 points for this encounter. Usually, I go lower couple of points when there’s a high probability of a blowout, but not here, as I’m expecting the math to go beyond 230 in the following weeks.
My Pick: (no spread bet here)
Total: over 217.5 points (-110)
