There are nine games of NBA action across tonight’s NBA slate. Tipping off in the later portion, the New Orleans Pelicans will take on the Phoenix Suns at 9:00 p.m. ET.
Neither of these organizations hold their exact desired outlooks for the season and in the future. Both feel a bit directionless and enter with a combined 7-12 record on the year. But the season is still young, and neither franchise is showing any desire not to attempt to compete, with each having traded away its upcoming first-round pick.
Looking at the odds for tonight’s matchup, the Suns enter as 8.5-point favorites and hold -360 odds on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Pelicans hold +285 odds of getting the outright victory, with the game total set at 227.5 points.
This article will look at a preview and prediction for the Monday night matchup.
Pelicans at Suns preview, prediction
The New Orleans Pelicans currently sit in last place in the Western Conference with a 2-7 record on the year. They started the season by losing five consecutive games at the hands of the Grizzlies, Spurs, Celtics, Nuggets, and Clippers. New Orleans then picked up back-to-back victories against the Hornets and Mavericks, but lost their most recent matchup to the Spurs on Saturday. The Pelicans are 4-4-1 against the spread this season.
On paper, this team should be much more competitive than its record indicates. Injuries have been a familiar storyline for the franchise, with Zion Williamson headlining this list again this year. Williamson is averaging 22.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists across his five games played, but is battling hamstring issues again this year. Dejounte Murray continues to rehab from his Achilles tear, while Jordan Poole is also set to be out for roughly the next week with a quadriceps strain.
Trey Murphy III headlines the production of the available players and is averaging 17.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists. Seventh overall pick Jeremiah Fears has opened some eyes with his play, averaging 13.8 points, 3.2 assists, and 2.9 rebounds through his first nine NBA games. Fellow rookie Derik Queen has also impressed in recent games after seeing limited minutes to start the year. The Maryland product is producing 8.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in just 19.0 minutes of action. Herb Jones, Saddiq Bey, Yves Missi, and Jose Alvarado round out most of their notable depth.
The Pelicans rank 28th in the league in scoring at 109.1 points per game, 28th in field goal percentage, and dead last in assists. They are also allowing 121.3 points per game to opponents, which ranks 27th in the NBA.
The Phoenix Suns were forced to pull the plug on the Kevin Durant era this summer and turned a new page on their organizational outlook. Unfortunately, the biggest prize of the trade return, Jalen Green, has been active for just one full game due to hamstring issues. After missing the start of the season, the former second overall pick re-injured his hamstring in his second game back and will be sidelined for the next several weeks.
Phoenix owns a record of 5-5 on the season but has won four of its past five games. After opening the season with a victory over the Kings, the Suns dropped four straight games against the Clippers, Nuggets, Jazz, and Grizzlies. They won back-to-back games over the Jazz and Spurs before losing to the Warriors, and most recently beat the Clippers in consecutive matchups. Phoenix is 6-4 against the spread this season.
Devin Booker continues to serve as the face of the franchise and is averaging 29.3 points, 7.2 assists, and 4.7 rebounds through the opening 10 games. Dillon Brooks has provided a nice jolt of energy and is second on the team in scoring with 18.5 points per game, while adding 2.5 steals. Grayson Allen adds 16.3 points and 4.7 assists, while Mark Williams, Collin Gillespie, and Royce O’Neal also pitch in double figures. Ryan Dunn, Oso Ighodaro, Jordan Goodwin, and Nick Richards round out most of their depth.
The Suns rank 16th in the league in scoring at 116.4 points per game. They attempt the fifth most three-pointers in the league, but are 22nd in turnovers. Defensively, opponents are scoring 116.7 points per game against them, which ranks 15th, and they rank 20th in opponents’ field goal percentage.
Pelicans at Suns prediction, best bet
New Orleans has shown an encouraging spark in recent games, led by their youth movement and Derik Queen, who is beginning to assert himself in the offense. He is an advanced passer for his size and plays with a composure beyond what is expected of a rookie. This also likely would not have been put on display at such a regular rate if not for the injury to Williamson. The Pelicans still have some issues to fix, but they are worth keeping an eye on as they start to build up some chemistry together.
However, Phoenix made the change to inject Mark Williams into the starting lineup after their tough start to the season and has benefited from the results. There is a higher baseline for what to expect from this team with Devin Booker continuing to keep his head down and lead the charge. Phoenix is top 10 in efficiency, both at the rim and behind the three-point line, while pulling in the eighth-most offensive rebounds. New Orleans has been vulnerable on the offensive glass, and this should prove problematic in this matchup.
At full strength, you can see the vision for what this Pelicans team can be, but it feels increasingly unlikely this will ever be the case. Head coach Willie Green’s seat is heating up, and the motivation to enter a full-scale rebuild has at least increased with Williamson as the launch point. But in the short term, they must continue to sort through their collection of young talent with the available bodies they do have.
The Suns have more star power and more healthy depth, and I like them to win this game outright and cover the 8.5-point spread tonight. There is a refreshing team-first style the Suns have flashed since moving on from Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, even if it was a step back in talent. Expect their offensive output to overpower this Pelicans team and for Phoenix to push the scoring total to a level the Pelicans can’t reach. Count on the Suns to win their fifth matchup in the past six games and cover the spread for the seventh time this season.
