Suns vs Trail Blazers Picks and Predictions: Lillard Dousing Phoenix's Flames

After playing a tough game against the Los Angeles Clippers last night, the Phoenix Suns take on the Portland Trail Blazers at the Moda Center on Tuesday. Neither of these teams will be at full strength, but we’ll still get a matchup between top-flight point guards Chris Paul and Damian Lillard. 

Will Portland find a way to put an end to its five-game losing streak? Continue reading our NBA betting picks and predictions for Suns vs. Trail Blazers to get an idea.

Suns vs Trail Blazers odds

Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.

The Suns opened as 2.5-point favorites and the line is now down to between 1.5 and 2 on most sites. The total, which opened at 218, has gone up to 218.5 or 219 nearly everywhere. 

Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until tip-off and be sure to check out the full NBA odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.

Suns vs Trail Blazers predictions

• Prediction: Trail Blazers +2.5 (-110)
• Prediction: Under 219 (-104)
• Best bet: Trail Blazers +2.5 (-110)

Predictions made on 12/14/2021 at 9:35 X.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.

Suns vs Trail Blazers game info

• Location: Moda Center, Portland, OR
• Date: Tuesday, December 14, 2021
• Tip-off: 10:00 p.m. ET
• TV: TNT

Suns vs Trail Blazers betting preview

Injuries

Suns: Deandre Ayton C (Questionable), Jalen Smith C (Questionable), Devin Booker G (Out), Frank Kaminsky C (Out), Dario Saric F (Out).
Trail Blazers: Cody Zeller C (Out), CJ McCollum G (Out).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.

Betting trend to know

The Suns are 2-5 against the spread in their last seven road games. Find more NBA betting trends for Suns vs. Trail Blazers.

Suns vs Trail Blazers picks and predictions

Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.

Spread analysis

Last night, the Suns were thoroughly dominated by the Clippers, who were playing without Paul George. Phoenix has been a machine since getting off to a 1-3 start this season, but the team appears to be running out of steam without Devin Booker in the lineup. The Suns desperately need their go-to scorer to get back, as they just don’t have enough consistent sources of offense without him. Sure, it might help if Deandre Ayton ends up returning to the lineup, but it’s hard not to give the edge to Lillard and the Blazers. 

An argument can be made that Paul isn’t all that much worse than Lillard, but Phoenix’s veteran point guard should be tired in the second night of a back-to-back. He’s carrying too big of an offensive load with Booker out, and it appeared to catch up to him against the Clippers. Now, Paul is going to need to hang with Lillard on both ends of the floor, but the Blazers star should be energized by playing a huge game in front of his home crowd. 

Portland has to know its opponent is vulnerable, so look for Lillard to be in attack mode early, and you also shouldn’t be surprised if Jusuf Nurkic and Larry Nance Jr. are dominant inside here. If Ayton is out, Nurkic should be able to feast down low. And Nance, who was just added to the starting lineup, is a presence on the glass. The Suns are small at power forward, so Nance’s size will be a factor. 

Prediction: Trail Blazers +2.5 (-110)

Over/Under analysis

The total appears to be going up, but there’s little reason to believe this will end up being a high-scoring affair. Phoenix has gone Under the total in four straight and six of its last seven. The Suns are playing at a considerably slower pace with Booker sidelined with a hamstring injury, and they are still playing elite defense in his absence. That’s how this Phoenix team wants to play. It doesn’t have the firepower to win in up-and-down contests, so the Suns are playing slow and focusing on defense and offensive efficiency. 

The Blazers are going to want to pick up the pace, but it likely won’t be enough for this to turn into an up-tempo game. The Under is 4-1 in Portland’s last five games as a home underdog and 10-4 in the team’s last 14 following an against-the-spread loss. 

Prediction: Under 219 (-104)

Best bet

Phoenix has been winning games at a high clip recently, but the team Is 2-5 against the spread in its last seven road games and 1-4 against the spread in its last five games overall. The Suns are just struggling to beat teams the way they should and they’re entering another hostile environment without their best scorer. Phoenix has gotten a crash course in how to play without its star over the last few weeks, but that’s no longer something the Suns need. They’re playing for the top seed in the Western Conference, and they’ll need home-court advantage in order to beat the Golden State Warriors in the playoffs. 

Without Booker, it’s hard to imagine Lillard letting this game slip away. You should feel comfortable playing it at pretty much any number, as Portland should end up winning this one outright. Phoenix lost by 29 the last time it played in Portland. 

Pick: Trail Blazers +2.5 (-110)

Pages related to this topic