Clippers vs Suns Predictions & Odds (Feb. 16)

Published: February 15, 2023 at 8:30 pm EST

Kawhi Leonard dribbling in front of defender — Feb 14, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) controls the ball against Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The LA Clippers are 1-point road ‘dogs against the Phoenix Suns Thursday night
Phoenix has win five of their last six, and have just three losses in their last 14 outings
Read below for the Clippers vs Suns preview with, odds and prediction

The 4th-seeded Phoenix Suns (32-27, 20-9 home) look all the way back after an ugly January stretch — and that’s before prized pickup Kevin Durant has even suited up with his new squad.

They’ll close out the first half against the fifth-seed LA Clippers (32-28, 17-15 away), which would be a first round playoff matchup in the West if the season ended today.

Los Angeles is coming off a win over the Golden State Warriors to snap a 2-game slide, while the Suns whipped the Sacramento Kings, giving them five wins in their last six. They have just three losses in their last 14 overall.

It all gets underway Thursday (Feb 16) at 10pm ET from the Footprint Center, in a game you can see live on TNT.

Clippers vs Suns Odds

Team	Spread	Moneyline	Total
Los Angeles Clippers	+1 (-110)	-105	Ov 224 (-110)
Phoenix Suns	-1 (-110)	-115	Un 224 (-110)

Odds as of Feb 15 at DraftKings. Claim the DraftKings promo code to bet on the Clippers vs Suns game.

The NBA odds have the visiting Clippers as 1-point underdogs, in a game that features a total of 224.

LA is the West’s best road team, with a 17-15 mark away from crypto.com Arena. At 20-9, Phoenix is one of six teams in the conference that has hit the 20-win plateau.

Los Angeles Betting Analysis

It’s taken a while, but the Clips are starting to resemble the unit that many feared could wreak havoc in the NBA. They took another step in the right direction when they beat the Warriors 134-124.

Kawhi Leonard dropped a game-high 33 points, with seven boards and four dimes, while Paul George had 20 points and eight assists.

Kawhi Leonard (33 PTS on 12-17 FGM) ties a career high with 7 threes in the @LAClippers win 🔥 pic.twitter.com/tokJRn466h

— NBA (@NBA) February 15, 2023

The Clipper trade deadline acquisitions all played in the win, with Mason Plumlee scoring eight points, grabbing five boards and dishing out three assists. Bones Hyland had six points, while Eric Gordon added seven points, three boards and three assists.

Another reserve, Norman Powell, led the bench scoring with 24 points, but he has been ruled out Thursday for rest.

Offense has been a problem for the Clippers all season, scoring just 111.4 points per game on the year, which ranks 27th in the league. That’s not far off from the Suns, who are in 22nd, putting up 112.8 points per night. It’s one of several similarities between these two (more on that below).

Phoenix Betting Analysis

Injuries and inconsistency have plagued the Suns this season, just a year after they led the league with 64 wins. Their low-point was a 1-9 stretch from Dec 28-Jan 16, coinciding with missed time from all-star Devin Booker.

That’s in the rearview now, as the Suns are rolling, beating the Kings 120-109 last time out. In their last five victories, four have come by double digits.

Season-high 19 DIMES for @CP3 in the @Suns win! pic.twitter.com/In6PyUDCrT

— NBA (@NBA) February 15, 2023

Booker led the way with 32 points and five boards, in just his third game back from a groin strain. Chris Paul put up a wild line with 17 points, 19 assists and five boards, while Deandre Ayton had 29 points and 11 rebounds.

TJ Warren, who came over in the Durant deal, had five points in seven minutes in his Suns’ debut. Durant isn’t the only key DNP Thursday, with Landry Shamet (foot) and Cameron Payne (foot) both targeting a return post All-Star break.

Clippers vs Suns Betting Prediction

KD’s eventual return will put the Suns in another class, but for right now, it’s hard to find two teams that are as similar in strengths as these two.

LA and Phoenix are tied for fourth in the NBA in scoring defense, giving up 111.2 points per game. The Suns hold teams to 46.7% shooting from the field (8th), while the Clips are at 47% (T-9th).

Offensively, the two teams are tied for fifth in three-point shooting, hitting at a 37.9% clip. The Clippers shoot 46.9% from the field (20th), and the Suns are right behind at 46.5% (22nd).

LA is 6-2 against the spread in their last eight road games, but they are just 1-4 ATS in the last five head-to-head matchups.

This will be the third game between the teams this season, with Phoenix winning both games by an average of 16.5 points. However, Kawhi was out for both, and PG played just once.

Look for LA to take advantage of this top-heavy opponent with their depth, and their stars to close this one out late.

Pick:

Clippers +1 (-110); 1.5 units to win 1.31 units
NBA Betting Record: 27-27-1 ATS, 1-1 ML, 5-7 o/u, 0-2 parlays; -8.72 units

Eric Rosales

Sports Writer & Editor

Having worked in and around sports since 1997, Eric is truly a knowledgeable expert. The two-time journalism grad specializes in all things NBA and NFL. From TSN.ca to CTV's Olympic Broadcast Consortium, Eric's work has appeared in local and national publications alike.

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