The NBA will start to have a much larger following soon after the 2021 World Series ends this week. The Phoenix Suns play host to the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night in a game that will be broadcast on TNT.
This matchup of Western Conference teams is set to begin at 10 p.m. ET and will be played at Footprint Center in Phoenix. The Suns are 11½-point betting favorites over the New Orleans Pelicans.
New Orleans Pelicans at Phoenix Suns
The New Orleans Pelicans come into Tuesday night with a record of 1-6. New Orleans was able to pick up a win on the road, but it has really struggled to play well at home.
Phoenix won the Western Conference last season, but the Suns have gotten off to a slow start. The Suns are just 2-3 and they are another team that hasn’t played well on their home floor. That’s definitely something to keep in mind, especially if you’re going to be betting on NBA this week.
Pelicans Playing Without Their Star
Zion Williamson has not yet made his debut for the New Orleans Pelicans and that has been a major problem for the team. Brandon Ingram has been leading the way for New Orleans, but he just doesn’t have a ton of help.
Ingram is averaging 25 points and Jonas Valanciunas has chipped in with 14.6 rebounds per game. Both players are doing what they can for the Pelicans, but the return of Williamson will take some pressure off these two players.
In the last two games, New Orleans has allowed 118 points per game and that just isn’t good enough to win in this league. Trying to find a way to slow down the Phoenix Suns won’t be an easy task either.
Suns Struggling to Score
The Phoenix Suns were an unstoppable offensive team during the NBA playoffs but they have not found as much success this season. Phoenix has scored more than 107 points just once, and that will need to change as the season moves along.
Devin Booker leads the Suns with 22.6 points per game, but he has not yet had a monster performance. The Suns are a team that shoots a ton from deep, but they struggle to win when they aren’t shooting it well.
Chris Paul continues to lead the way for the Suns, dishing out more than 10.6 assists per game. Phoenix has struggled on the defensive end as well, but this offense should be good enough to win games.
Suns Shine Over Pelicans
Playing without Williamson has been a big problem for the Pelicans, and they just don’t have the talent to keep up in this game. Phoenix has not yet played its best basketball yet, but it’s going to happen at some point.
“He’s cutting. He’s doing explosive work. He’s running. He’s getting closer and closer,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said of Williamson. “It’s just one of those injuries where we want to be really diligent, especially with the foot, of being careful when we put him back on the floor at full go.”
The Suns have some momentum from beating the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night, and that should allow them to get off to a fast start in this game. This game could get out of hand in the fourth quarter as the Suns will take complete control. Mark that down if you’re looking for viable NBA picks.
Phoenix will get back to the .500 mark by covering the spread and winning comfortably against the New Orleans Pelicans.
