The nightcap to an NBA Playoffs tripleheader on Tuesday features a Western Conference clash between the 8-seed New Orleans Pelicans and 1-seed Phoenix Suns. The Suns built a massive halftime lead and withstood a third-quarter charge by the Pelicans to take Game 1 of this series in a relatively comfortable fashion. The defending conference champs will look to hold serve at home again tonight before the action shifts to New Orleans for Games 3 and 4. Let’s take a look at the top NBA odds, picks and betting trends, then give a Pelicans vs Clippers prediction for this NBA Playoffs Game 2 matchup.
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Pelicans vs Suns Game Info and Preview | NBA Playoffs
NBA Western Conference Playoffs First Round — Game 2 (PHX leads 1-0)
(8) New Orleans Pelicans (36-46, 17-24 Away) vs. (1) Phoenix Suns (64-18, 32-9 Home)
Date: Tuesday, April 19, 2022
Time: 10 PM EST
Venue: Footprint Center — Phoenix, AZ
Coverage: TNT
Aside from a third-quarter burst, the Pelicans were largely outclassed in Game 1 of this series on Sunday. While one cannot help but be impressed with how New Orleans turned its season around and secured a spot in the postseason, even a single win in this series would be a surprise for many. The Pelicans have retooled their roster in a big way over the last few seasons. That being said, it is largely still a young, inexperienced group. Even top scorer Brandon Ingram is making his first-ever appearance in the NBA Playoffs.
On the contrary, this season is quite clear “championship or bust” for the Suns. Phoenix was the best team in the NBA throughout the regular season and fittingly began the playoffs as title favorites. On the heels of reaching the NBA Finals a year ago, one could argue that this year’s Suns team is even better. Veteran point guard Chris Paul, who is still seeking his first career NBA title, led the Suns in Game 1 with 30 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. Three Phoenix players scored 20+ points on Sunday compared to just one for the Pelicans.
Pelicans vs Suns NBA Betting Picks and Odds
All NBA betting odds for Pelicans vs Suns can be found at BetOnline Sportsbook.
Moneyline: NOP: (+430) | PHX: (-550)
Point Spread: NOP: +9.5 (-110) | PHX: -9.5 (-110)
Total: 221.5 — Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)
Public Betting Percentages (via Action Network): NOP: (16%) | PHX: (84%)
Pelicans vs Suns NBA Betting Trends
- Pelicans are just 1-6 ATS in their last seven games against teams with a winning record.
- The UNDER is 4-0 in the Pelicans’ last four playoff games as an NBA betting underdog.
- Pelicans are 0-4 ATS in their last four games when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
- The total has gone UNDER in each of the Suns’ last six games.
- The UNDER is 4-0 in the Suns’ last four games following an ATS win.
- Suns are 5-1 ATS in their last six head-to-head matchups against the Pelicans.
- Each of the last four Pelicans vs Suns head-to-head meetings in Phoenix has gone UNDER the total.
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Pelicans vs Suns Prediction | NBA Betting Picks
Although both the Pelicans and Suns have proven capable of putting up points at various times this season, the current NBA betting line of 221.5 seems a bit too high. First, let’s discuss further how Game 1 of this series played out. The Pelicans started off ice-cold from the floor. In fact, NOLA failed to crack 20 points in either the first or second quarters.
After building a comfortable, double-digit halftime advantage, the Suns relaxed defensively after the break. This enabled the Pels to claw back into things by way of a 37-point third quarter. In a nutshell, bettors should approach Game 2 with the belief that New Orleans will be better than they were offensively in the first half of Game 1. However, they also will certainly be worse than they were in the second half.
From a statistical standpoint, one should not anticipate a track meet based on how these teams tend to play. While the Suns did rank top-10 in Pace Factor this season, the Pelicans were outside of the top-20. The fact that New Orleans would prefer to slow things down from a tempo standpoint bolsters our Pelicans vs Suns prediction. For what it’s worth, both of the Pelicans’ Play-In Tournament games also came up short of the posted total for tonight’s contest.
Our NBA betting Pelicans vs Suns prediction tonight will be the UNDER hitting at BetOnline.
For what it’s worth, the ESPN Matchup Predictor gives the Suns an 87.8% chance to win.
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