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Suns vs. Pelicans Prediction and Odds: Phoenix Still Dangerous Despite Lack of Depth Down Low

By Matt De Saro

The Suns will be without all but one of the rostered Centers now that the rest are stuck in health and safety protocols.
The Suns will be without all but one of the rostered Centers now that the rest are stuck in health and safety protocols. / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
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The 13-23 New Orleans Pelicans are one of the worst teams in the NBA and are up against one of the best in the 28-8 Phoenix Suns.

Most recently, the Pelicans suffered a 115-104 loss to the Utah Jazz Monday night. They're now playing an even stronger team, but are doing it on the second half of back-to-back. They have lost three of their last four including a game to a rebuilding Oklahoma City Thunder team. 

Meanwhile, the Suns looked great on Sunday against the Charlotte Hornets on the road. Phoenix marched into the Spectrum Center as 1.5-point underdogs and won by 34 points. They hit a season-high 17 3-pointers and managed to hold one of the best offenses in the league to under 100 points. The last time these two teams met, the Suns held the Pelicans to 100 points while scoring 112. 

Here are the odds for this Tuesday night NBA showdown courtesy of WynnBET: 

Suns vs. Pelicans Odds, Spread, and Total

Spread:

  • Suns: -7.5 (-110)
  • Pelicans: +7.5 (-110)

Moneyline:

  • Suns: -300
  • Pelicans: +240

Total: 

  • 224 (Over -110/Under -110)

Suns vs. Pelicans Prediction and Pick

While the Suns are clearly the superior team, they are missing several key components due to the league’s health and safety protocols surrounding COVID-19.

Both Deandre Ayton and Jae Crowder have been out since before the new year. Their absence was being filled in for by Javale McGhee among others. However, the big man was landed in health and safety protocols on Thursday and will not be available tonight. This leaves the Suns with Jalen Smith as the only uninjured center listed on Phoenix’s depth chart. Smith has played well, but he is inexperienced, and at 6’10”, a little undersized to be their man in the middle. 

While all of that makes me a bit reticent to trust the Suns here, it is important to remember they are playing a pretty poor Pelicans team. Even with a depleted frontcourt, the Suns are far and away a better team than the Pelicans are. 

New Orleans cannot stop anyone on defense right now and are giving up 119 points per game on average over their last three contests. If they can’t get it together on defense, the Suns are going to run all over them tonight. 

Pick: Phoenix Suns -7.5 (-110)

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