Happy Tuesday, everyone (I’ve always hated Tuesdays; there’s absolutely nothing special about them.. although there is MAC-tion tonight)! We continue to grind and continue to win in the NBA. Here’s a free pick for tonight’s small slate:
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NBA 20/21 Season: 207-152 (58%)
NBA 21/22 Season: 25-14, +13.78 units
MLB Season: 229-199 (54%)
NFL Season: 46-40 (53%), +23 units
Suns -11.5 (-110), 2 units: This is a big line but this game sets up really well for the Phoenix Suns. Last year’s Western Conference champions have started off a little cold this year, but that doesn’t mean they’re not still every bit as capable of repeating. Continuity is a big issue in the early parts of an NBA season and the Suns are already dealing with a few key injuries on their team– namely a banged up DeAndre Ayton and Cameron Payne.
But something happened 3 nights ago against the Cavs. Good, well-coached teams tend to figure themselves out in bursts and hit a new gear. The Suns went on an incredible 50-12 run against Cleveland on Saturday night and never looked back. Down double-digits early, they eventually won by 9 points at home. The Suns remain at home through this Saturday, welcoming the lowly Rockets on Thursday and then the Hawks on Saturday.
The Pelicans are 1-6 and without their star Zion Williamson, but they’ve been finding ways to keep games close. Tonight that’ll be a harder task. Brandon Ingram is listed as “questionable” Tuesday but by other things I’ve read, it sounds as if he’ll sit. This is a huge downtick in offensive production for New Orleans, and it will leave Jonas Valancuinas as their sole “star” in this contest. The Suns have a top-10 coach in Monty Williams and they should make life real difficult for the Pelicans’ star center, who will likely have a bullseye on him throughout the game. The Pelicans are also in a terrible spot– they’re at the start of a brutal 4 game road stretch and they travel to Sacramento tomorrow night to take on a fiesty Kings team. It doesn’t get much worse than that.
This is a game where the Suns, even with some injuries, should be able to score at will, stifle New Orleans on defense, and run away with a double-digit win. It’s a big line and our number says it’s a little inflated, but the Suns routinely blew out teams last year in similar spots. Unlike other titans of the NBA, Phoenix is not afraid to lay the wood and annihilate a weaker foe. I trust in the Suns to hit a new level tonight and cream the banged up Pels.
