Clippers vs. Suns Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for NBA Playoffs Game 2 (Phoenix Bounces Back Behind Kevin Durant)

The 2022-23 NBA Playoffs continue on Tuesday with Game 2 of the first round series between the Los Angeles Clippers and Phoenix Suns.

Suns vs. Clippers Game Info

• Date: Tuesday, April 18, 2023
• Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
• Venue: Footprint Center -- Phoenix, Arizona
• Coverage: TNT, BSSC, and BSAZ

The opening matchup between these teams was nothing short of thrilling. The Clippers earned a 115-110 road upset win in a close-fought affair on Sunday as Kawhi Leonard dropped 38 points on a 13-of-24 shooting mark. Phoenix will look to even up the series before heading to LA on Thursday.

Suns vs. Clippers Odds & Spread

• All NBA betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: PHO: (-335) | LAC: (+270)
• Spread: PHO: -7.5 (-112) | LAC: +7.5 (-108)
• Total: 226 -- Over: (-108) | Under: (-112)

The Suns enter this contest as clear home favorites on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 10 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 226 points, with the under slightly favored at -112 odds.

Suns vs Clippers Betting Information

Favorite	Spread	Favorite Spread Odds	Underdog Spread Odds	Total	Over Total Odds	Under Total Odds	Favorite Moneyline	Underdog Moneyline
Suns	-7.5	-110	-110	225.5	-110	-110	-330	265

Suns vs. Clippers Betting Trends

• The Suns have covered the spread in a matchup 40 times this season (40-38-2).
• This year, the Clippers have just one against the spread win in five games as an underdog of 7.5 points or more.
• Suns games have finished with a final combined score above the over/under 40 times this season.
• The Clippers have eclipsed the over/under 48.8% of the time this year (39 of 80 games with a set point total).
• Phoenix has covered the spread in the same percentage of games at home as away games (50%). It has covered 20 times in 40 games when playing at home and 20 times in 40 games when playing on the road.
• Los Angeles' winning percentage against the spread at home is .475 (19-21-0). On the road, it is .525 (21-19-0).

Suns vs. Clippers Prediction & Pick

Keep in mind Sunday was the first time the Suns have lost this season with Kevin Durant on the floor. Durant did his job with 27 points, 11 assists and 9 rebounds, but Phoenix couldn't squeak out a win in large part due to its rebounding. LA won the battle on the glass, 49-42, and racked up 15 offensive boards.

It was a surprising result considering the Suns ranked 10th in total rebounding percentage (50.7%) and 14th in offensive rebounds allowed per game (10.2) entering Sunday. Controlling the boards in Game 2 will help Phoenix bounce back in an arena where they are 28-14 this season.

It's worth noting the Clippers have also failed to get off to a 2-0 start in any of their last seven playoff series dating back to 2017. LA is still missing All-Star Paul George and forcing Leonard to take on the entire scoring workload is not a strategy that is going to work out against a great team like Phoenix.

Final Score Prediction: Suns: 117 | Clippers: 110

Suns vs. Clippers Best Bet

Durant took advantage of the defensive coverage he drew in Game 1 by dishing out an impressive 11 assists. It was the second time he logged more than 5 assists as a member of the Suns and there's a lot to like about his chances of repeating that success in Game 2. Just take a look at LA's defense.

The Clippers enter Tuesday allowing the sixth-most assists over their last three contests (29.3) as well as the 11th-most assists to the power forward position on the year. LA head coach Ty Lue is going to prioritize shutting Durant down, so expect other Suns players to be wide open.

Bet: Kevin Durant Over 5.5 Assists (-122)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.