Suns vs Clippers Predictions & Odds (Oct. 23)

• It’s the battle of two contenders on Sunday as the Suns visit the Clippers
• LA is a 2.5-point home favorite
• Who will take this Western Conference matchup? Read on for the odds, preview, and prediction

Sunday evening brings a possible preview of the Western Conference Finals as the Phoenix Suns (1-1, 0-1 away) visit the Los Angeles Clippers (1-0, 1-0 home) at Crypto.com Arena in Southern California. This matchup can be seen on NBATV at 10pm ET. Find the Suns vs Clippers prediction below.

Phoenix is coming off a 113-11 overtime loss to Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers on the road, despite Devin Booker’s 33 points. As for the Clips, they beat the Sacramento Kings without Kawhi Leonard and John Wall, who were healthy scratches.

Suns vs Clippers Odds

Odds as of October 22nd at DraftKings.

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The Clips are favored at 2.5 points on the spread and -140 odds on the moneyline. A $100 bet would make you $171. The Suns meanwhile sit at +120 odds to win this marquee contest.

In four meetings in 2021-22, both teams secured two victories apiece.

Suns Coming Off Heartbreaking Loss

Phoenix has been in two very tight affairs so far. They beat the Mavs by just two points earlier in the week and then lost by that same deficit to Portland on Friday in overtime. Deandre Ayton had the chance to tie the game at 113 with two free throws after a Jusuf Nurkic foul, but the big man choked and missed both.

Nevertheless, there were some positives for the Suns. Ayton showed out for 26 points and six boards, while Booker led the squad with 33. Point God Chris Paul also put up 10 points and dished out 12 of Phoenix’s 31 assists. Monty Williams’ group shot 37% from deep and 46% overall, but struggled to slow down Damian Lillard, who erupted for 41 points on an uber-efficient 12-for-25 shooting night.

pic.twitter.com/4MBwZ7mnnJ

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) October 22, 2022

The Suns’ bench failed to make much of an impact as well, posting just 24 points. They’re now 0-2 against the spread, which doesn’t exactly bode well for them being a 2.5-point underdog on Sunday.

Paul George Steps up Without Kawhi

With Kawhi and Wall sitting, there was no question the rest of the rotation had to step up on Saturday for the Clippers against the Kings, most notably Leonard’s co-star, Paul George. Needless to say, he did just that. PG showed out for 40 points, six rebounds, and six assists, going a perfect 5-for-5 from the charity stripe and 16-for-31 from the field.

Paul George is going off. 🔥🔥

pic.twitter.com/JEWy7dbpTN

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) October 23, 2022

To be frank, though, it was basically all George in the slim 111-109 victory. The next highest-scorer was Reggie Jackson with 14. Luke Kennard compiled 11 points off the bench, too. LA did do what they’re known for, however, draining 41% of their triples. Also, the Clips took full advantage at the line, shooting a sharp 91% (20-for-22).

Bringin’ the HUSTLE! pic.twitter.com/5ZAVuT1rNu

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) October 23, 2022

As expected, Kawhi and Wall should be back on the floor for Sunday’s contest in the tail-end of a back-to-back. That should take some of the load off PG’s shoulders, who put in absolute work versus Sacramento, playing a whopping 38 minutes. Ty Lue’s squad is now 1-1 against the spread, just barely covering in the opener against the Lakers.

Suns vs Clippers Prediction

This is a tough one here. Both teams are very solid on both ends but after all, this is the Clippers’ first home game and the return of two key players should make a difference. The spread is slim, yes, but I do expect this to be a very close outcome. That’s why I’m liking LA on the moneyline.

Pick: Clippers ML (-140)