Keagan Smith dives into his pick and prediction for the Phoenix Suns vs. Los Angeles Clippers matchup on Friday night.
The new NBA season tipped off just a couple nights ago and continues on Friday with a loaded slate. The final game tonight sees the Phoenix Suns (1-0) head to Los Angeles for a division duel against the Clippers (0-1) in a Western Conference showdown. The stars are on display with Devin Booker taking on Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, so lock in for this late-night affair at 10:30 p.m. EST.
Here’s a Suns vs. Clippers prediction and pick on DraftKings Sportsbook for contest.
Suns vs. Clippers prediction, preview
It was a tough offseason for the Suns as the team parted ways with Hall-of-Fame lock Kevin Durant for a return of Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and a first-round pick which became center Khaman Maluach. To top that off, the franchise brought in a new head coach in Jordan Ott and now looks toward the future via this re-tooling process. Despite Jalen Green’s hamstring injury keeping him sidelined for the season opener, the Suns did rally from behind to down the Sacramento Kings in a 120-116 thriller as Devin Booker and Brooks powered the victory. However, tonight brings a tougher test, especially with a weak guard rotation and an overabundance of frontcourt options, particularly at center. The season opener was a fun win, but it’s clear this team will have some trouble working through the post-Durant era.
On the other side, the Clippers retained most of their talent over the offseason after falling in the first round of last year’s Western Conference playoffs. Kawhi Leonard and James Harden remain in place with Ivica Zubac complementing them at center, and Bradley Beal was brought in to replace Norman Powell at shooting guard. The addition of Chris Paul in his return to L.A. also brings some help in the backcourt off the bench, and John Collins and Brook Lopez also provide standout depth in the frontcourt. A few years ago, this team would’ve made some serious noise as a title contender. However, everyone is a year older and may struggle against some younger rosters that push the pace in transition. The Clippers lost their first game to the Utah Jazz 129-108 as no player cracked 20 points, but a better performance should be in the cards here.
Suns vs. Clippers pick, best bet
The Clippers enter tonight’s contest as -9.5 favorites with -455 odds on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Suns are listed at +350 odds on the Moneyline with a game total of 223.5 points.
It’s clear to see that Los Angeles remains a far better team here. Booker might be the top talent on display tonight, but he doesn’t truly elevate teammates’ play. Aside from him, Phoenix lags behind in pretty much every aspect of roster construction. Harden and Paul are great floor generals, which the Suns don’t have whatsoever, while Leonard is the unquestioned best forward on the floor as well. Zubac also brings dominance in the paint that Mark Williams doesn’t quite possess. With a significantly deeper rotation and more proven (albeit older) talent, the Clippers should bounce back and dominate this game. Booker can put up numbers, but if the opposing defense limits him, the Suns likely just don’t have the weapons to win otherwise barring another big night from Brooks or Grayson Allen. Watch for the Clippers to cover handily as this game gets out of hand.