NCAAF Odds – Georgia vs. Alabama for National Championship
January 4, 2022NBA Hot and Cold – 1/4/22
January 4, 2022
The Los Angeles Clippers visit the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night in a game that can be seen on TNT. The Suns continue to roll along, as they are battling Golden State for first place in the Western Conference and the best overall record in the NBA. The Suns have been excellent at home this season, going 16-4, while the Clippers are just 7-8 on the road. The Clippers are a much different team than expected, as Kawhi Leonard is out for the season and they are missing Paul George until later this month. The Clippers and Suns have split their last ten meetings and it was actually Los Angeles winning 111-95 at home last month.
Check out our preview and prediction for this high-profile matchup at BetMaker before placing your NBA wagers.
Clippers vs. Suns Preview
Los Angeles Clippers vs. Phoenix Suns
Date and Time: Thursday, January 6, 2022, 10:00 PM ET
Location: Footprint Arena, Phoenix, AZ
Opening NBA Odds: TBD
TV Coverage: TNT
All odds courtesy of SugarHouse online sportsbook.
The Clippers are averaging only 105.5 points per game, while they are giving up 105.2 points per game. Los Angeles has to win by playing good defense because their top two players are out of the lineup. Paul George is not expected back until later this month and he leads the team in scoring at 24.7 points per game and assists at 5.5 per contest. Ivica Zubac leads the team in rebounds at 8.2 per game. Zubac is also out of the lineup due to illness.
The Clippers are coming off a home game against Minnesota on Monday night. The Clippers shocked Brooklyn on New Year’s, winning 120-116 in Brooklyn. It was an amazing win, as the Clippers were 14-point road underdogs in that contest. Los Angeles is going to be double-digit underdogs again on Thursday, and winning in Phoenix will be a lot more difficult than winning in Brooklyn.
The Suns are averaging 112.3 points per game which is 3rd in the league. They are giving up just 104.8 points per contest which is 5th in the NBA. Devin Booker leads the team in scoring at 23.6 points per contest, while Chris Paul leads the team in assists at 9.9 per game. Deandre Ayton leads the team at 11.1 rebounds per contest but he is out of the lineup due to illness.
The Suns completed a three-game road trip in New Orleans on Tuesday and then had Wednesday off. This will be a quick two-game homestand, as they host the Clippers on Thursday and then host the Heat on Saturday.
NBA Betting Trends
The Clippers and Suns have split their last ten meetings with Los Angeles going 6-4 ATS. Los Angeles won 111-95 at home last month. Six of the last ten have gone under the total. The Clippers have more than held their own in Phoenix, winning six of the last ten. The Suns did win two of the three home games in last year’s playoff series against the Clippers. Five of the last ten in Phoenix have gone over the total and five have gone under.
NBA Prediction
There is no question that the Suns are going to be big favorites in this game on Thursday night. Normally I would say go with the big points and take the Clippers as a value play, but this is a revenge game for the Suns, as they lost last month to Los Angeles and it wasn’t close. The Clippers simply don’t have the lineup right now to compete with Phoenix. If the Clippers had Paul George in the lineup you could make a case they could at least compete with the Suns, but without George it is hard to see how this team is going to score enough points to stay within the number. Los Angeles has been playing hard without George in the lineup and they proved against Brooklyn they can’t be overlooked. Regardless, the Suns are the way to go in this contest. The under also looks like a good play, as the only way Los Angeles can compete is to play good defense.
NBA Picks: Suns and Under
