Pelicans vs Suns Prediction and Betting Tips 6 Dec 2024 - NBA Prediction
NLB Staff
04.12.2024 13:52
Pelicans vs Suns Prediction
As the New Orleans Pelicans continue having to rely on many depth pieces with their squad being extremely injured, they play a Phoenix Suns squad that has improved since everyone has returned. With this Pelicans roster losing 124-112 last time out against Atlanta, Phoenix beat Golden State in an 8-point victory. This game will take place on December 6th at 6:30 A.M. IST in Footprint Arena of Phoenix. Below are our key betting tips, top player props, vital injuries, and head-to-head trends to make an accurate prediction for this game.
Pelicans vs Suns Betting Tips & Predictions
1. New Orleans Pelicans vs Phoenix Suns Moneyline Pick
As the money line is at -479 for Phoenix in this game, it should be taken with ease due to their stardom over the Pelicans. Having Devin Booker and Tyus Jones in their backcourt, this duo should completely outscore plus have more assists than Dejounte Murray plus CJ McCollum. With Bradley Beal having a great two-way advantage against Brandon Ingram in limited minutes, he should control Brandon Boston Jr. throughout as well. With Kevin Durant able to out-rebound and score Trey Murphy III, the ability of Oso Ighardo to finish outside should help him have a stronger performance than Yves Missi. Looking at this, Phoenix should win their -479 money line and 4th in 5 previous games vs New Orleans.
2. New Orleans Pelicans vs Phoenix Suns Point Spread Pick
Knowing that the Suns have a -9.5 spread, they should have a huge advantage on both ends with way more talent than New Orleans. Having Tyus Jones being an excellent passing guard, his ability to drive in and knock down deep shots makes him a dangerous facilitator in every aspect. With his matchup being Dejounte Murray, Jones should continue using quick hands to force turnovers and not let the Pelicans guard have similar driving abilities to him. As Murray has struggled from three so far this season, Jones will continue closing out on this guard while creating chances down the other way. With Devin Booker continuing to provide a lot of offense for this Suns unit, his constant effort to find space or score near the basket will dominate CJ McColloum’s defense. As the Pelicans' shooting guard won’t be able to provide a similar number of points, Booker’s improved defense should force McColloum into way harder looks than usual. Seeing that he should force McColloum to make a lot of bad passes as well, Devin Booker should have a huge advantage in this matchup. With Bradley Beal being a much bigger piece than Brandon Boston Jr., it will hurt New Orleans because Brandon Ingram will be on a minutes restriction. Even though Ingram can provide mid-range scoring, Beal’s ability to create blocks plus steals will handle Brandon Boston Jr.’s dribbling skills, while the Suns forward should power through him on offense. As Beal continues being a strong three-point shooter, his ability to get into the paint will be a huge strength against both Pelicans guards as well. With Kevin Durant having a huge mid-range and deep-shooting ability over Trey Murphy III, he should help Oso Ighardo have a rebounding advantage against Yves Missi in the middle. All in all, this -9.5 spread should be a perfect pick.
3. New Orleans Pelicans vs Phoenix Suns Over/Under Pick (Total Points)
With the over/under in this game being at 222.5 points, this Suns unit should carry the line having a strong lineup, while New Orleans will help a bit. As the Pelicans have one of the better passing point guards, their shooting guard continues hitting shots from beyond three-point range. Having a small forward that can attack with his mid-range game, this unit should have their strong center finish inside. Meanwhile, Phoenix has a very strong combo guard who can drive inside next to one of the best all-around scorers at SG. With their wings being two elite inside scorers who can provide perimeter shots, they have an elite three-point shooter on the bench. Coming off a matchup where both teams combined for 218 points, this game should end up being a little higher than that.
New Orleans Pelicans vs Phoenix Suns Top Player Props
Trey Murphy III under 18.5 points at 1.81: As the Pelicans power forward has had an extended number of opportunities this season, he has struggled against defenders that are much bigger than him. With Kevin Durant guarding him, the Suns stars' ability to use size for blocks and force Murphy III into bad looks is going to be a constant in this matchup. Knowing that Trey Murphy III averages 17.5 points a night, he should be under that during this matchup.
Devin Booker over 23.5 points at 1.67: Seeing that this Suns shooting guard continues finding shots all around the floor, he should have another dominating performance. Going up against a weaker defender in C.J. McCollum, he should find space to knock down easy looks and drive in. Averaging 24.7 points a night, he should go well over the season average during this game.
New Orleans Pelicans vs Phoenix Suns Injury News & Impact
New Orleans Pelicans Injuries: As Brandon Ingram, 22.9 points, is anticipated to return from his calf injury, this unit will still be without Zion Williamson due to his hamstring issue. With Jose Alvardo out due to a left hamstring strain, this group has no Jordan Hawkins because of a back problem. Knowing Herbert Jones, 6.8 points, is out with a shoulder injury, this group will lose a key two-way player as well.
Phoenix Suns Injuries: With Jusuf Nurkic, 9.9 rebounds, out due to a right ankle fracture, this unit should continue running the same unit having Oso Ighardo starting at center instead.
Pelicans vs Suns Head-to-Head Trends
Although the Pelicans won the last matchup, Phoenix should dominate this after having a three-game winning streak before that. Having scored over 100 points in 19 straight games and averaging 117.3 over their previous 3, this group should have another high-octane game on the offensive side. As Phoenix is 3-1 against the spread over their past 4 matchups, they should continue building on this record.
Betting Insights & Public Trends
Looking at the betting insights, this Suns squad is backed by 83.1% of bettors to beat New Orleans during this matchup.
Pelicans vs Suns Final Prediction
As the Phoenix Suns enter this game having been on a really strong streak, they should win this game against a weaker New Orleans squad. Seeing that they have Tyus Jones at point guard, his ability to cut in and create off the dribble will be a vital aspect for this squad. Being the main facilitator for this offense, Jones should have plenty of assists and continue scoring inside or from deep with ease. Having a matchup against Dejounte Murray, his quickness will beat the Pelicans guard and help him find easy layups inside. As the Pelicans point guard continues struggling to be a consistent scorer, Jones should have multiple steals and deflections to give this Suns unit more chances to finish down the other end. With Devin Booker having been one of the strongest all-around shooters, he should continue having another strong performance against C.J. McColloum. Knowing that McCollum has struggled on defense, Booker should continue providing top-notch looks from all over, while also using his improvement at the other end to stop this Pelicans guard. Seeing that C.J. McCollum's main game is shooting threes, Devin Booker should continue closing out while also forcing more turnovers for this Suns unit.
Having Bradley Beal at small forward, he continues to be a top two-way player who should continue controlling someone like Brandon Boston Jr. Even though Brandon Ingram will score some quick points in his short time, Beal should dominate Brandon Boston Jr.’s defense from the perimeter and inside near Phoenix’s hoop. As someone who continues ramping up his pace, Beal will create blocks inside against Boston Jr., while forcing steals to finish with speed down the other end. Looking at Kevin Durant starting at power forward, his strength off-putting in mid-range shots or corner looks will dominate Trey Murphy III, while he continues being the much stronger rebounder. As Durant will create blocks against a smaller Murphy III as well, Phoenix will have a rebounding advantage in the middle as well with Osho Ighardo being bigger than Yves Missi. With Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale coming off the bench for Phoenix, New Orleans can only keep it close if Elfrid Payton and Javonte Green come up big.
Our prediction: Phoenix Suns win this game and cover their -9.5 spread, while the score goes over 222.5 points.
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