Suns-Clippers Game 6 Player Props, Picks: Bets for Paul & Ayton (June 30)
Who doesn’t love the words ‘Game 6’ in sports? We are in store for a great Western Conference Finals game in Los Angeles Wednesday night, after the Clippers punched back in Game 5 with their backs against the ropes. Make sure to check out my full Clippers vs. Suns betting preview. In the meantime, let’s pinpoint some high-value player props, and make ourselves a little money on some in-game action.
Here are my three favorite player props for Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals.
Suns vs. Clippers Player Props & Picks
Chris Paul, OVER 8.5 Assists (-149)
| Suns vs. Clippers | Suns +1 |
| Time, TV | 9:00 p.m. ET, ESPN |
| Best Book | BetMGM |
The -167 feels a bit high for our liking (why didn’t DK just make it 9.5 assists and trim the odds down to -140!?). But I still love the OVER in this one. Chris Paul is the savvy veteran leader of this Suns squad, and the reason they finished second in the Western Conference this season. As CP3 goes, so too do the Suns.
Paul finished Game 5 with eight assists, despite Phoenix missing 46 of its 84 shot attempts. That’s a 45.2 field goal percentage, which would rank 11th in the 2021 NBA Playoffs if it was the norm for the Suns. Spoiler alert: it’s not the norm for the Suns. Before Game 5, Phoenix was shooting over 48 percent from the field, which ranked second to only Philadelphia as best in the playoffs. After Game 5, Phoenix is shooting 47.1 percent on the postseason, 0.1 away from a three-way tie for third-best team shooting percentage.
The Suns left a lot of assists out there Monday, and I doubt they will struggle as mightily in Game 6. CP3 averaged 8.9 assists per game during the regular season, and he’s hit nine assists in five of his last 10 playoff games. I think the veteran leader reaches double-digits in assists against his former franchise, in what should be a truly fantastic game.
Deandre Ayton Finishes, OVER 11.5 Rebounds (+105)
| Suns vs. Clippers | Suns +1 |
| Time, TV | 9:00 p.m. ET, ESPN |
| Best Book | BetMGM |
Am I reading this right? Ayton is a +105 to grab 12 boards Wednesday? Sign me up. The Suns have asserted that if they want to make the NBA Finals, they must be more aggressive and play with more urgency. That starts with Paul and Devin Booker, but it ends with Ayton’s play on the interior, which has low-key been a massive catalyst to Phoenix’s success this postseason.
Ayton grabbed 11 rebounds in the Game 5 loss, and a whopping 22 boards in Phoenix’s Game 4 win. In the Suns’ Game 2 win, he collected 14 boards. I think the 22-year old will be extremely active around the rim Wednesday, and Suns coach Monty Williams will implore him to capitalize on “(player-popup #demarcus-cousins)Demarcus Cousins”:/players/demarcus-cousins-1490’ weaknesses (age, durability, slowness, emotions).
Ayton is Phoenix’s x-factor—if he doesn’t show up and show out, the Suns can forget about a Game 6 road victory. I think he will grab between 13 and 15 boards, but the Suns will still lose to the Clippers by three. Game 7 feels like an inevitability at this point.
Paul George, Triple-Double (+1000)
| Suns vs. Clippers | Clippers -1 |
| Time, TV | 9:00 p.m. ET, ESPN |
| Best Book | BetMGM |
Okay, admittedly this one is like trying to call your own home run. But you can’t argue with how tempting the +1,000 is here. ‘Playoff P’ just dropped a playoff career-high 41 points in Game 5, putting LA on his back and keeping the Clippers alive. At this point, would anybody be that surprised if he logged a triple-dub in Game 6?
The points and rebounding parts of the equation are easy, hence why he’s -200 to register a double-double (side note: that’s a fantastic bet in and of itself). PG13 has scored 20-plus points in all 18 of LA’s playoff games, and he’s averaged 30.8 points per game since “(player-popup #kawhi-leonard)Kawhi Leonard”:/players/kawhi-leonard-13310’s knee injury. George also has 44 boards over the course of the past three games, good for 14.6 per game during that stretch.
With points and boards all but stone-cold locks, the last piece to the puzzle is 10 assists. PG has already reached double-digits in assists once this postseason, in a 15-point home win over Dallas on June 6. He has six or more dimes in each of the past four games, and he had eight at home in Game 3. He has 40 total helpers in LA’s past six home games (a devilish 6.66 per game), compared to 30 over LA’s past six road games (just five per game). I think Paul captures headlines again Wednesday, with a 40-point triple-double at home to force Game 7.
Image Credit: Imagn