suns-pelicans-odds-game-2
Brandon Ingram of the New Orleans Pelicans Shoots Against the Phoenix Suns

After winning Game 1 110-119, Vegas oddsmakers have made the Phoenix Suns hot favorites to repeat the feat against New Orleans on Tuesday at Footprint Center.

Although the Suns ended the matchup as comfortable winners, the scoreline could have been even more one-sided. So will the Pelicans fare better in Game 2, or will it be business as usual for the NBA Championship title favorites?

Get insights and the latest betting lines for New Orleans Pelicans @ Phoenix Suns.



Suns Are Coming in Hot

Chris Paul was the main man for the Suns in Game 1, scoring 30 points – 19 of which came in the final quarter.

Phoenix took their foot off the gas in the third, resulting in their lead falling from 23 to 8 points. However, Paul killed off all hope of a New Orleans comeback by erupting to establish a double-digit lead.

…Chris Paul was the main man for the Suns in Game 1…

Devin Booker also managed an impressive 25 points for the Suns but was not as instrumental as Deandre Ayton: the Bahamian scored 21 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and produced four blocks. His performance helped Phoenix outscore New Orleans 50-38 in the paint.

Nevertheless, the Pelicans put up a decent fight. CJ McCollum managed 25 points for New Orleans, and Jonas Valanciunas contributed with 18 points and 25 boards. Brandon Ingram also added 18 points but the Phoenix defense spearheaded by Mikal Bridges limited the Pelicans to 37.9% from the field.

Looking at the stats, it was business as usual in Game 1: Phoenix held the Pelicans below 41% from the field in the last five matchups between the two.

The Suns also shot 53.8%, exploiting the weak New Orleans defense – the Pelicans finished the season ranked 18th in defensive rating. Therefore, it’s unsurprising that NBA betting sites have made the Suns 9.5 favorites to win the second game of the series.



Betting Value: Under or the Over?

Although the Suns beat the Pelicans by at least 11 points in their three wins, wagering on the under may represent better betting value because the two franchises have failed to surpass 221.5 points in their past five meetings.

…the two franchises have failed to surpass 221.5 points in their past five meetings…

In Phoenix’s last nine games, the under is 8-1, and Game 1 fell short of the total by 15 points. The Suns have been rock solid in defense all season and could make it even tighter against the Pels.

The Suns have yielded 109 points or less in 18 of their past 23 playoff games – only nine of those 23 contests went over the total. As New Orleans will likely go all out to slow down the game, the under looks even more tempting.



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Ben Perks
Writer

Ben is a sports journalist & part-time trader with a passion for finding +EV bets. Ben lives in Madrid, Spain where he enjoys the live poker scene, and sunshine where he covers UFC, MLB, NHL, NBA, as well as tennis betting.