Both the Phoenix Suns and the New Orleans Pelicans entered this season with hopes of taking the next steps toward Western Conference relevance. But right now, it's just the Suns rising to that potential.
Phoenix sits at 11-8 for the season after wining and covering three straight games, and oddsmakers have them as 3.5-point road favorites for tonight’s matchup against the Pels, who have dropped five of their last seven games.
Check out our NBA free picks and predictions for Suns vs. Pelicans on Wednesday, February 3 with tipoff scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET.
Phoenix Suns at New Orleans Pelicans Betting Preview
Injuries
Suns: Devin Booker G (Probable), Abdel Nader F (Questionable), Cameron Payne G (Out), Dario Saric F (Out).
Pelicans: Steven Adams C (Questionable), Naji Marshall F (Questionable).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.
Betting Trend to Know
The Pelicans are 0-7 ATS in their last seven home games against a team with a winning road record. Find more NBA betting trends for Suns vs. Pelicans.
NBA Sharp Money and Line Movement Report
By Patrick EversonFanDuel pegged Phoenix a 2-point favorite to open, the line stretched to -3.5 this morning and stuck there all day. As of 7 p.m. ET, the Suns are attracting 70 percent of bets and 71 percent of money on the spread. The total opened at 224, moved to 223 Tuesday night, then to 224.5 this morning, but it’s now down to 222.5. Still, the Over is attracting 80 percent of bets and 70 percent of cash.
Check out the full line movement for this gameAgainst the Spread (ATS) Pick
Devin Booker returned with a bang for the Suns, hitting a game-winning three against the Dallas Mavericks the last time out, after missing four straight games with a hamstring injury. Booker put up 24 points, including going 4-8 from deep. Having him paired once again with Chris Paul will be a problem for the Pelicans.
Paul is playing his best basketball as a Sun. The future Hall of Famer is averaging 23.3 points while shooting 50.5 percent from the floor, to go along with 9.7 assists over his last six games.
The Suns' dynamic backcourt will look to attack a New Orleans D that ranks 24th in defensive rating and 22nd in scoring defense.
The Pels’ offense presents a whole other set of problems. While budding superstar Zion Williamson is finding his groove in his second season, the same cannot be said for his teammates. The Pels’ offense is slow and they are one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the NBA.
That doesn’t bode well against a Phoenix team that ranks fourth in defensive rating and fifth in scoring defense, allowing just 107.5 points per game this season. We’re betting the sun doesn’t set on Phoenix's winning streak and taking them to cover as short faves.
PREDICTION: Suns -3.5 (-110)
Over/Under Pick
The Pelicans offense is about as hot-and-cold as they come. New Orleans is just 3-10 in their last 10 games, and in the three wins, the Pels averaged 127.7 points, while in the 10 losses they average just 108.8. Additionally, the Pelicans play at a relatively slow tempo, ranking 18th in the NBA in pace.
On the other side, the Suns can be solid on offense, but still, rank 18th in offensive rating and 20th in points per game.
Combine that with the Pels' struggles shooting the basketball, the Suns’ tough defense, and the fact the Under is 5-1 in the Suns’ last six games as a road favorite, which has us thinking this one will fall below the number.
PREDICTION: Under 223 (-110)
Player Prop Pick
The return of Devin Booker might have meant Chris Paul taking his foot off the gas on offense, but that wasn’t the case in Booker’s first game back against Dallas. Even with Booker back on the court, Paul continued his scoring trend, dropping 34 points on the Mavs on 14-20 shooting. Paul is averaging 17.8 field goal attempts per game over the last six games and that shouldn’t slow down against the Pels.
Booker’s return also means Paul has another scorer to dish the ball to and add to assist totals. With that in mind, we like Paul to eclipse his Points + Assists total in this matchup.
PREDICTION: Chris Paul Over 26.5 Points + Assists (-105)
Suns vs Pelicans Betting Card
- Suns -3.5 (-110)
- Under 223 (-110)
- Chris Paul Over 26.5 Points + Assists (-105)
Did you know that if you parlayed today’s NBA Suns vs. Pelicans picks, you could win $61.16 on a $10 bet?
Use our NBA parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
Where Can I Bet on the NBA?
You can bet on NBA odds at every online and casino sportsbook, including NBA moneylines, spreads, Over/Under totals, and a ton of NBA prop odds. Head over to our best-suggested sportsbooks for the top spots to bet on NBA odds in your area.
