- The Phoenix Suns meet with the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday night.
- NOP eliminated the LA Clippers and the San Antonio Spurs from the play-in tournament.
- The Suns had three wins over the Pelicans this year and one loss as well.
The top contenders for winning the NBA title this year, the Phoenix Suns, start their playoff run against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Suns finished the regular part of the campaign atop of the league, setting a new franchise record with the number of wins.
Meanwhile, the Pelicans had to go through the play-in tournament, winning against the Spurs at home and the Clippers on the road.
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Phoenix Suns Schedule
- Where: Footprint Center, Phoenix, Arizona
- When: Sunday, April 17, 9 pm ET
- How to Watch: TNT
Pelicans vs Spurs Odds
| Team | Total | Spread |
|---|---|---|
| Pelicans | 225 | +10 |
| Suns | 225 | -10 |
Pels’ Biggest Test so Far
Bradon Ingram and CJ McCollum will have a very big test ahead of them in this series. These two guys are relentless scorers, but this is the first time for them to play together in the playoffs. So far, Ingram and CJ have posted solid performances. The most recent two events in the playoff saw them leading the way for the Pels pretty well.
McCollum was a bit slower against the Clippers, delivering just 19 points, but against the Spurs, he was the main reason for the victory with 32 buckets. Ingram had 27 points vs Spurs, and 30 against the Clippers.
Jonas Valanciunas should have a major impact on the Pelicans’ results here. The Lithuanian center averaged 17.8 points and 11.4 boards throughout the season, becoming one of the top ten centers on both ends of the floor.
Suns Attack the Title – Vol. 2
There isn’t too much to say about the Phoenix Suns. They are one of the best teams in the league, if not the best, and all they have to do is to keep themselves healthy for the end of the year. So far, they’ve managed to do the same, clearing all the minor injuries before the start of the playoffs.
Monty Williams rested some of his top players in the last few events, which was reasonable, having in mind that the Suns racked 64 wins, and that there was no reason for them to keep on pushing at the same pace.
Devin Booker leads the team with 26.8 points, while Deandre Ayton has a double-double per game with 17.2 buckets and 10.2 boards. Chris Paul also has double figures in two columns, 14.7 points and 10.9 assists.
Head to Head Games
As said, the Suns won three direct matchups, while the Pelicans won one. The most recent was on March 15, in New Orleans where the Suns won 131-115.
Pelicans vs Suns Picks
The Suns are the absolute favorites in this matchup and the series as well. The odds on their win here aren’t high, so our pick would be the Suns to win and cover a 10-point spread. For the moment, we really believe that despite all of their qualities, the Pelicans don’t have the slightest chance to take at least one game in this series from the Suns. Simply, the gap in quality is too big.
Pick: Suns -10
