After drama-filled offseason for both clubs the New Orleans Pelicans and Phoenix Suns are happy to get the season started. And there’s a lot at stake for the Suns after their flameout in last season’s playoff followed by a summer of uncertainty with DeAndre Ayton and the black cloud of ownership. Lost in all this is the fact that the Suns still have the pieces in place that carried them to the best record in the entire NBA last season and the NBA Finals the season before that. Making their first playoff appearance in four seasons, New Orleans put up a good fight before losing the first round series to Phoenix in six games.
The contest between the New Orleans Pelicans and Phoenix Suns takes place at 10 p.m. ET on Friday, October 28, 2022, from Footprint Center in Phoenix and will air live on ESPN. BookMaker.eu will have odds for every game on the Friday NBA schedule.
NBA Opening Lines at BookMaker.eu
New Orleans Pelicans (Check Back Later)
Phoenix Suns (Check Back Later)
Over/Under (Check Back Later)
Odds Analysis
It was a closer playoff series than most expected with the Pels winning in Phoenix while splitting the first four games. The better team eventually prevailed with the Suns taking the final two games with payouts in each. Phoenix played as the favorite in each of the last 13 meetings including the playoff encounter going 9-4 SU and ATS. The Suns will be laying points in this matchup with the line wavering depending on the availability of Pels’ stars Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. New Orleans opened the campaign with a pair of road wins over Brooklyn and Charlotte covering the line while cashing the OVER averaging 127 points. Phoenix closed last week with a convincing 112-95 win over the Clippers as a slight road favorite improving to 2-1 SU and 1-2 ATS.
New Orleans Pelicans
It’s way early but there are concerns for the Pelicans over the health of Williamson and Ingram. They made the play-in tournament last season with Williamson missing the entire campaign. Now that he’s back expectations have increased. Of course they finished 10 games below .500 in what was a mediocre bottom half of the Western Conference. Both players were hurt in Sunday’s overtime loss to Utah leaving the club shorthanded at the most critical time. We don’t know what have happened if those two were around at the end of the game, but it sure didn’t help in the 122-121 setback.
The good news is that both players will only miss a short time and they could be ready to go by Friday. The duo along with C.J. McCollum all average more than 20 points for one of the highest scoring teams in the NBA. The Pels averaged 125 points while shooting nearly 48 percent from the field in their first three games with the OVER at 3-0. Winning on the road was an issue last season with a 41.4 percent success rate. The Pels got off to a good start taking their first two away from home to start this campaign.
Phoenix Suns
It was a long offseason for the Suns, who were eliminated in an ugly Game 7 loss to Dallas in the West semis. In a cruel move by schedule makers the Suns were given a shot at redemption in the opener facing the club that put a 123-90 beatdown on them to end last season. Despite the sour ending the Suns made an effort to keep the team intact following two successful years. Phoenix reached the NBA Finals in 2021 and posted a NBA high and franchise record 64 wins last season. Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton penned large deals keeping the nucleus around.
With many of the same guys in place this is a do-or-die season. Reaching the postseason is a mere formality with this group being judged on its playoff results. With an already deep roster the Suns improved adding former Warrior Damion Lee. And that move paid dividends with Lee hitting the game-winner in a comeback win over the Mavs.
NBA Odds Pick
The Suns had one of the best defensive ratings in the league last season and started this year hounding opponents. They enter the week fourth in defensive rating after shutting down the Clippers. They will be tested by an aggressive Pelicans squad, but I like the Suns to continue doing what they do best. Each of their first three games cashed the UNDER and they’ve been dominant at home the past few seasons.
NBA Odds Prediction: Phoenix Suns / UNDER
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