The Los Angeles Clippers look to finish the regular season with a win to lock up the No. 5 seed and will face off against the Phoenix Suns who are locked into the No. 5 seed — opting to rest the likes of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Chris Paul.
Can L.A. take advantage of the shorthanded Phoenix side and lock up the five seed? Continue reading for our free NBA picks and predictions for the Clippers vs. Suns matchup on Sunday, April 9.
Clippers vs Suns best odds
Clippers vs Suns picks and predictions
As the NBA season comes to a close, the matchups of the first round of the playoffs are beginning to take shape. Coincidentally enough, two teams will face off on Sunday that are likely to see each other in the first round, if things go as expected.
The Phoenix Suns are locked into the Western Conference's fourth spot and will host a team that they are likely to host in the first round — the Los Angeles Clippers. In current possession of the fifth seed and in possession of the tiebreaker over the Warriors, it would take an unlikely swing of events for the Clippers to lose their high ground in the standings.
With the Suns using Sunday's inconsequential game as an opportunity to rest their big three — Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Chris Paul — L.A. is in as good of a position to shore up the five seed as it can possibly be.
Los Angeles could also just use the win from a morale and momentum perspective, having gone 4-5 in the nine games prior to its last pair of wins. Those wins included a pivotal high-profile win over the Lakers on Wednesday, followed by a win over the Blazers yesterday
Even though the spread reflects the circumstances of today's game, it may still be short given that Monty Williams and the Suns have all the reason to pull back as much as humanly possible whereas the Clippers cannot afford to do so.
Giving Ty Lue, a revered postseason mind, any reps on film of what the Suns could possibly bring once the playoffs begin would be a fool's errand.
Although most of the other Suns are slated to play in today's game, expect Williams to keep things light and potentially take them out of the game rather early — especially the rotation players that are higher in the pecking order.
My best bet: Clippers -9.5 (-110 at DraftKings)
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Clippers vs Suns spread analysis
The spread opened at -10 with the anticipation of the Suns sitting their key starters, and the spread has since moved a half point down to -9.5.
The Clippers are 40-41 against the spread this year, good for a 49.4% cover rate. As road favorites, they have gone 11-9 (55.0%), and 8-6 against the spread in their last 14.
Los Angeles has been a favorite of nine or more points five times this season, and has gone 3-2 in that split. The Suns are 41-38-2 ATS this year, good for a 51.9% cover rate. As home underdogs, they have gone just 3-5 — the third-worst cover rate in that split (37.5%).
They have covered in five of their last eight, but have failed to cover their last two. In games in which they've been underdogs of nine or more points, they have gone 2-4 ATS.
Clippers vs Suns Over/Under analysis
The total opened at 226 and has since moved to 225.
The Clippers have gone 42-39 to the Under this year, playing to the seventh-highest rate of Unders this year at 51.9%. However, on the road they have gone 25-15 to the Over, possessing the fourth-friendliest Overs rate this season at 62.5%.
They have gone Over in seven of their last eight, and just two of those totals during that stretch have been lower than today's 226.
Phoenix has gone 41-38-2 to the Over this year, tied for the 11th most Overs this year at 51.9%. As a home underdog. it has played to five Unders in eight games (62.5%).
In conference games, it has gone 30-19-1 to the Over, tied for the highest rate of Overs in that split this year.
Clippers vs Suns betting trend to know
The Suns have gone 3-5 against the spread as home underdogs. Find more NBA betting trends for Clippers vs. Suns.
Clippers vs Suns game info
| Location: | Footprint Center, Phoenix, AZ |
| Date: | Sunday, April 9, 2023 |
| Tip-off: | 3:30 p.m. ET |
| TV: | Bally Sports Arizona, Bally Sports SoCal |
