Free NBA Pick: Pelicans vs. Suns NBA Odds
Looking for New Orleans Pelicans vs. Phoenix Suns free NBA picks & NBA odds? NBA betting sees the Pelicans taking on the Suns on Tuesday, April 19th, 2022 at the Footprint Center. Cappers Picks provides complimentary expert handicapping picks on all NBA basketball matchups so stay tuned for more FREE daily NBA hoops predictions like this Pelicans Suns matchup.
2022 NBA Playoffs Handicapping Round 1
(0-1) New Orleans Pelicans vs. Phoenix Suns (1-0)
Date: Tuesday, April 19th
Time: 10:00 PM EST
Venue: Footprint Center, Phoenix, AZ.
NBA Moneyline Odds: Pelicans +445 | Suns -455 (Bet Now!)
NBA Betting Odds: Suns -9.5
NBA Betting Total: 221.5
Game two between the eighth-seeded New Orleans Pelicans and top-seeded Phoenix Suns tips off on Tuesday, April 19th. Phoenix won the opening game 110-99.
The Suns won the regular-season series 3-1 with wins on November 2nd (112-100), January 4th (123-110), and March 15th (131-115) while the Pelicans won the February 25th (117-102) match.
The Suns hold the advantage all-time winning 36 of the 68 matches versus the Pelicans and this is the first time the teams will meet in the postseason.
New Orleans Pelicans
Earning a playoff berth for the Pelicans could already be considered a victory especially considering their 1-12 season start.
While series often feature ties between clubs of players who were prior teammates one of the major ties in this series is between the two head coaches Willie Green and Monty Williams.
Their ties go back two decades when as a vet Williams and a young Green were teammates in Philly. When Williams moved into coaching Green was one of his players in New Orleans.
Later when Green followed his own coaching path he was an assistant to Williams in Phoenix prior to becoming the head coach in New Orleans. And above all they are friends.
Considering the turnaround of the Pelicans this season it’s not a reach to spot parallels between what Williams did in Phoenix and what Green is trying to do in New Orleans.
The Pelicans made steady growth improving in each of Williams’ seasons at the helm and for Green, he’ll be looking to emulate his friend’s success with his own squad.
As for Game 1, there are positives to glean despite the loss.
CJ McCollum led scoring but needed 25 shot attempts to register 25 points. Jonas Valanciunas registered a double-double of 18 points and 25 rebounds but was outplayed by Ayton.
Williamson (foot) is out indefinitely. Kira Lewis Jr. (ACL) is lost for the season.
Phoenix Suns
The Suns took advantage of their depth and rest advantage in the opener of the first-round series jumping on the Pelicans from the tip, building a 12-point lead in the first quarter, expanding it to 19 by the half and it ballooned to 23 points.
It looked like the rout was on but the Pelicans finally found a rhythm narrowing the margin to six points. There was no panic on the part of the Suns who played to their identity and never panicked knowing they were 47-0 in games they led after three quarters.
Devon Booker (25 points, eight assists) and Deandre Ayton (21 points, nine rebounds, four blocks) were cooking early.
But when momentum changed and the Suns’ offense stalled it was their elder statesman who got things back on track stealing the show in the process.
Phoenix is perhaps the most disciplined team in the league and much of that is a reflection of Chris Paul. The veteran is a master of pace, dissecting defenses, and is the best clutch time performer in the league.
Typically that’s dominated by his masterful playmaking but on this night it was Paul’s scoring that took center stage as he scored 17 straight points in the fourth quarter to regain a double-digit Suns lead. He finished with a game high 30 points via a double-double 10 assist effort.
Dario Saric (knee) remains out with no definitive return date.
NBA Betting Trends:
- New Orleans is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games against Phoenix.
- Phoenix is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games.
- The total has gone UNDER in 12 of New Orleans’ last 16 games.
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Phoenix’s last 6 games.
- Pelicans are 8-4 ATS in their last 12 playoff games as an underdog.
- Suns are 7-2 ATS in their last 8 Conference Quarterfinals games.
Free New Orleans Pelicans vs. Phoenix Suns NBA Prediction:
This season despite all the adversity Green went through between the poor start, no Zion Williamson, and a mid-season trade the first-year coach has them playing their best ball and building an identity.
It’s not hard to imagine with a healthy Zion the structure established this season could foster a culture of being a perennial playoff squad. In this series, they’ll try to be competitive and maybe even win a game but gaining that vital experience will be their greatest benefit.
They have the third-quarter comeback to build upon for Game 2, but now that the Suns shook off the rust it’s not likely they aren’t more buttoned-up on Tuesday — this time covering the spread.
4* Free NBA Betting Pick: Suns ATS
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