NBABet

Clippers vs. Suns: Expect LA to Stay Hot

Chris Baker breaks down his expert NBA betting pick and prediction for Clippers vs. Suns on Wednesday, January 3.

Clippers vs. Suns Odds

Clippers Odds -2.5
Suns Odds +2.5
Moneyline -142 / +120
Over/Under 233
Time Wednesday, 9 p.m. ET
TV NBA League Pass
Odds via FanDuel. Get up-to-the-minute NBA odds here.

The Clippers will travel to Phoenix to take on the Suns on Wednesday night. Which veteran squad will have the edge in this star-studded matchup?

Let’s get to our Clippers vs Suns prediction and pick below.


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Clippers Finding Their Rhythm

The story for the Clippers has been there elite offense as they rank second in Offensive Rating (126.9) and first in Effective Field Goal Percentage (59.9%) over the past month. Overall, they rank third in Net Rating (+10.5) and have been respectable on the defensive end as well ranking 10th in Defensive Rating (115.5).

The Clippers’ current starting five of James Harden, Terance Mann, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubac has an elite Net Rating of +17.1 across a decent sample size of 486 possessions.

The only rotation player currently holding this team back has been Russell Westbrook as the Clippers are +13.4 with him off the court and just +0.4 with him on the floor, a dramatic -13.0 point swing. Fortunately, his minutes have been steadily decreasing over the last few games. Overall, the Clippers are clearly championship contenders and are will be a contender in the West.

Suns Defense Struggling

Kevin Durant and Devin Booker are forces of their own to be reckoned with, but the Clippers have a plethora of big-wing defenders to throw at them.

Offensively, the Clippers should continue to dominate here as this Suns defense has been truly awful this season. The Suns currently rank 21st in Adjusted Defensive Rating despite playing the easiest schedule of opposing offenses, according to dunksandthrees.com.

Phoenix has also leaned into its best offensive lineups as Grayson Allen and Eric Gordon have both seen their minutes trending up. The Suns just do not have the perimeter defenders to match up with all three of Harden, Leonard and George, so I would expect the Clippers to get to their spots here on offense.

Clippers vs. Suns Prediction

As of Tuesday night, Durant has been ruled out with a hamstring injury, but the spread still stands at Clippers -2.5 in Phoenix.

Take the Clippers to cover in this spot as they continue to find their form with their superstars building the continuity that the Suns haven’t been afforded. The Clippers have won 12 of their last 14 games and should add another impressive win and cover on Wednesday night.

Pick: Clippers -2.5