Suns vs. Clippers Odds, Game 5 Preview, Picks, & Prediction

Article Image

Suns vs. Clippers Odds

Clippers Odds +5.5
Suns Odds -5.5
Moneyline +180/-222
Over/Under 215.5
Time 9:00 p.m. ET
TV ESPN
Odds accurate as of Monday at BetMGM
Click Here to Bet $20 on Any NBA Playoff Game & Win $100 Regardless of Outcome!

The Phoenix Suns remain the team to beat in the NBA in 2020-21, and the sportsbooks have finally taken notice. Most NBA Finals odds list Phoenix as the leaders of the contending pack, and rightfully so. A win at home this evening secures the Suns’ ticket to the championship round, inching future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul one step closer to his first title.

Clippers Missing Leonard

For Los Angeles, this postseason has been yet another dose of heartbreak. Paul’s former franchise, which was always so close yet so far away during his tenure in Hollywood, once again looks destined for a disappointing demise. The Clippers have been without two-time champion and Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard all series, and he will remain out tonight with a sprained knee. That brutal blow will (most likely) leave Clippers Nation with little more than melancholic daydreams about what could have been.

One thing’s for sure: Paul George has reinvigorated his ‘Playoff P’ persona. The veteran All-NBA talent and perennial MVP candidate has looked phenomenal since Leonard’s injury, averaging over 29 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists in the six games since his fellow All-Star went down.

But George hasn’t enjoyed the kind of consistent offensive support a superstar on a true Finals contender needs to get over the hump. Marcus Morris Sr. has struggled mightily from the floor. Nicolas Batum has been practically invisible. Ivica Zubac and Terance Mann have decent games here and there, but never in bunches. Reggie Jackson has been LA’s only consistent bright spot beyond PG13.

Suns Continue to Shine

Meanwhile, the Suns are the most complete dual-court team in the NBA. They play such seamlessly-intelligent basketball, and show such remarkable chemistry together, that it’s impossible for me to pick against them the rest of the way—never mind in this series, where they need just one win in three tries.

Phoenix has been brilliant all postseason—the Suns won nine in a row at one point—and they just keep rolling, despite “(player-popup #patrick-beverley)Patrick Beverley”:/players/patrick-beverley-14108’s fantastic man-to-man defense on Booker. LA showed tremendous fight and aggressiveness in Game 4, but the Suns just kept getting up every time they took a blow.

I can only imagine how exhausted George, Jackson and company are at this point. At a certain point, you wonder if they will mentally resign themselves to the reality that this is once again not the Clippers’ year.

Just look at Game 4. LA held Phoenix to 36 percent shooting, and a dreadful 20 percent from three-point range. The Clippers also drew a whopping 27 fouls. But they scored just 16 points in the second quarter, and 14 points in the fourth quarter, and they trailed the entire game.

Can you imagine holding a squad to 84 points in the Western Conference Finals in this high-scoring era, and somehow still losing? The Clips got outrebounded 59-51, they missed 11 of their 32 free throw attempts, and they turned the ball over four more times than Phoenix. LA shot 32.5 percent from the floor and an abysmal 16.1 percent from long distance.

The Suns also destroyed the Clippers down low and on penetration. Ayton’s presence was particularly noteworthy defensively, with some highlight-reel swats contributing to Phoenix’s tally of eight total blocks. LA missed Leonard in so many ways, on both sides of the court, but the greatest void was felt on offense. Big-time players propel teams to big-time wins—we’ve seen Leonard do it time and time again—and PG desperately needed his sidekick to have a chance at winning this series.

Clippers vs. Suns Game 5 Picks & Predictions

But alas, being a Clippers fan remains a glass cage of emotion, while State Farm continues to cash in on its sponsors making championship runs (by the way, can we make a formal request to permanently banish Jake from State Farm 2.0, and for that matter, Cliff Paul?).

Long story short, I like the Suns’ chances to seal the deal Monday. They have too much top-to-bottom talent, too great a passing game, and too aggressive an approach on defense and near the hoop. I wouldn’t be surprised if Phoenix wins and covers the -5.5, with a convincing win in front of the home fans. But, just to be safe, I’ll probably stick with the -225 moneyline, as well as the Suns -3 at halftime.

I won’t touch the total here—there are no trends suggesting we should gamble there. But I will pick Phoenix to put the scrappy LA out of its misery once and for all, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Paul delivers his former franchise the final death blow.

Image Credit: Imagn

About the Author

SloanPiva
Sloan Piva (SloanPiva)

Sloan Piva is a veteran of the sports journalism industry, and a freelance sports betting analyst. He received his master’s degree in Professional Writing from the University of Massachusetts, and currently resides in East Bay, Rhode Island with his wife and daughter. He covers the MLB, NFL, NBA, NCAA, and PGA, as well as anything related to fantasy sports and sports betting. Shoot him an email anytime at SloanPiva@gmail.com!