3 Bold Predictions for Suns-Clippers Game 2

It was the Devin Booker show in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals between the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Clippers, but don’t expect Los Angeles to go down easy in Game 2. 

WynnBET has the Suns as five-point favorites in Game 2, but both teams will be without star players, as Chris Paul and Kawhi Leonard have both been ruled out. 

That means guys like Cameron Payne and Reggie Jackson will be forced to step up for their respective teams, and it certainly makes for some intriguing player prop bets in tonight’s game. 

Here are three bold predictions I have for Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals: 

Cameron Payne Goes Under 1.5 3-Pointers

Payne was fantastic in place of Chris Paul in Game 1 of the series, as he scored 11 points and dished out nine dimes in 29:14 of playing time. 

The Suns’ backup point guard has been a revelation this season, and he will get another start in Game 2 with Paul in the league’s health and safety protocols. 

Payne’s 3-point prop is set at 1.5 in Game 2 with the over (-150) as a major favorite to the under (+115). At those odds, I think Payne is a good bet to hit the under. He hasn’t hit more than one 3-ball in a playoff game since Game 5 against the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round. 

In his 11 playoff games this year, Payne has gone over 1.5 3-pointers just three times, and two of those instances came when he attempted seven and five shots from deep. Since Game 5 against the Lakers, Payne has attempted more than three shots from downtown just once, and it was a 1-for-4 performance in Game 1 against the Clippers. 

Payne doesn’t have to score a ton, and the Suns clearly valued his playmaking in Game 1. At plus odds, I think the under is the way to go on this prop. 

Deandre Ayton Goes Over 24.5 Points and Rebounds

Ayton has been fantastic this postseason, and the next step that he’s taken in his game has been one of the driving forces to the Suns’ success. 

Tonight, WynnBET projects 24.5 combined points and rebounds from Ayton, with the over (-125) as a slight favorite to the under (-105). 

In his 11 playoff games, Ayton has gone over 24.5 points and rebounds eight times, and he’s done it comfortably in many games. In Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, Ayton put up 20 points on 10-of-14 shooting and nine boards to easily pass the projection.

Since the Clippers have been going small this postseason, Ayton has an easier path to rebounds. Monty Williams trusted him against the Clips’ small lineup, as he played over 36 minutes in Game 1. 

Ayton has been a double-double machine this postseason, and I’d expect him to continue his breakout tonight. 

Nicholas Batum Scores Less Than 9.5 Points

Batum has played a huge role for the Clippers all season, and he’s been the team’s de-facto center when Los Angeles goes small this year. 

He struggled to score in Game 1, notching just five points, but WynnBET projects him to reach double figures in Game 2 with a 9.5-point projection and the over (-120) being the favorite to the under (+100). 

Batum has scored in double figures in six of his 14 postseason games this year, and I think the under at +100 odds provides more value in what probably should be a pick’em. 

Batum has put together two single-digit scoring games following his last two double-digit performances, and if that trend continues, he’s in line for another down game in Game 2. With his postseason average at 9.4 points, I am taking the under on Batum’s prop.