by Rod Pearson
Wednesday, Apr 19, 2023
Game Time: 10:30 pm ET, Thursday, April 20, 2023
Venue: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Where to Watch: NBA TV
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Suns -2.5, Clippers +2.5; Over/Under: 228.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Suns -2.5, Clippers +2.5; Over/Under: 228 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Suns -2.5, Clippers +2.5; Over/Under: 228.5 points
Season Record
Phoenix Suns: 45-37 (2nd place, Pacific Division)
Los Angeles Clippers: 44-38 (3rd place, Pacific Division)
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Recent Form
Phoenix Suns: 7-3 last 10
Los Angeles Clippers: 6-4 last 10
Phoenix Suns vs Los Angeles Clippers Preview and Analysis
The Suns finished the regular season with a 45-37 record overall and they were 17-24 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off of a win against the LA Clippers in their last game. Devin Booker led the team in points in that game with 38 while Kevin Durant was next on the team with 25 points. Devin Booker led the team in assists in that game with 9 while Deandre Ayton led the team in rebounds with 13. They were 58.8% from the field, 41.7% from 3-point range, and 92.9% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 113.6 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 111.6 PPG against them. The Suns have an ATS record of 43-39-2 this season and their O/U record is 43-38-3.
The Clippers finished the regular season with a 44-38 record overall and they were 23-18 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off of a loss against the Phoenix Suns in their last game. Kawhi Leonard led the team in points in that game with 31 while Russell Westbrook was next on the team with 28 points. Kawhi Leonard led the team in assists in that game with 7 while Kawhi Leonard led the team in rebounds with 8. They were 43.8% from the field, 36.7% from 3-point range, and 90.3% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 113.6 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 113.1 PPG against them. The Clippers have an ATS record of 41-43 +this season and their O/U record is 41-42-1.
Suns vs Clippers Prediction
The current betting odds have the Clippers listed as a 2.5 point underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. This is game 3 of a 7-game series between the 4th seeded Suns and the 5th seeded Clippers for the 1st round of the playoffs in the NBA Western Conference. This will be the 1st game of the series being played in LA and the series is all tied up 1-1 right now after the Suns bounce back at home with a win in game 2. The Suns looked a lot better as Booker had a big night for them but they have struggled in their road games this year and this is not going to be an easy game for them. The Clippers showed in game 1 that they can give the Suns all they can handle and they will play even better now that they are back at home with a chance to take a series lead here. The pressure is also off of the Clippers as they got their road win and have now put the pressure on the Suns to win a road game to get out of this series when they were only 17-24 in road games this season. The Suns are going to have to dig deep in this game to win it but the Clippers are good enough to keep this a close game all night and they have the potential to pull off another upset win in this series here at home. The best way to place a bet here is on the Clippers to cover the spread in this game.
Suns Clippers Prediction: Our NBA Pick for Thursday, April 20, 2023 (10:30 pm ET start time) is Clippers 121 Suns 118.
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NBA Betting Trends
Phoenix Suns: 8-1 ATS after 3 consecutive division games. 22-16 ATS after playing 3 consecutive home games. 12-4 OVER vs. division opponents. 28-18 OVER when the total is 220 to 229.5.
Los Angeles Clippers: 5-12 ATS after a division game. 2-8 ATS off a road loss by 10 points or more. 24-16 OVER after one or more consecutive overs. 13-5 OVER revenging a loss vs opponent of 10 points or more.
Key Injuries
Phoenix Suns: C. Payne (PG) Ques Thurs - Back.
Los Angeles Clippers: P. George (SF) Late April - Knee.
Notable Quotes
“People talk about adjustments all the time and we make them. But sometimes basketball is just being able to sit down and guard the ball, keep your man from getting to the basket and contesting the shot." - Monty Williams after his team’s win against the Clippers in their game on Tuesday, game 2 of this series.
“We tried to blitz. We tried to fire. We did a lot of different things. They played great.” - Tyronn Lue after his team’s loss against the Suns in their game on Tuesday, game 2 of this series.
Starting Lineups
Phoenix Suns
PG Chris Paul
SG Devin Booker
SF Kevin Durant
PF Torrey Craig
C Deandre Ayton
Los Angeles Clippers
PG Russell Westbrook
SG Eric Gordon
SF Kawhi Leonard
PF Nicolas Batum
C Ivica Zubac
Statistical Leaders
Phoenix Suns
PPG: K. Durant (29.1)
APG: C. Paul (8.9)
Reb/G: D. Ayton (10)
Los Angeles Clippers
PPG: P. George (23.8)
APG: R. Westbrook (7.5)
Reb/G: I. Zubac (9.9)
Coaches:
Phoenix Suns: Monty Williams (4th season)
Los Angeles Clippers: Tyronn Lue (4th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
