Jordan Spurgeon
The Suns hold a 3-2 lead over the Los Angeles Clippers. Tonight is Phoenix’s second opportunity to close out the Clippers, following a 116-102 loss at home in Game 5.
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— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) June 30, 2021
Although the Suns lead the series, many sportsbooks list the Clippers as slight favorites. Here’s some of the odds and parlay bets available on BetMGM.
The Spread
Suns (+1)
Clippers (-1)
This is a toss-up but the Clippers are at home. Paul George is carrying this team, scoring 41 points in Game 5. Both teams have stolen a road game in this series.
This season, the Clippers are 40-25 against the spread when favored by at least one point. On the flip side, Phoenix is good against the spread when listed as underdogs, going 39-29-1 this year.
The Suns are 11-4 this postseason. Despite offensive struggles in the previous three games, there’s a solid opportunity for them to clinch the west and advance to the Finals tonight. A win would cover the spread since “underdog” is the position the Suns are in.
Over/Under
214.5
This series is a mix of top 10 defenses and offenses that are legit at times. That’s been on full display with low scoring games (think Game 4, 84-83) and offensive showcases (Game 1, 120-114).
At this point in the series, both teams appear to have lost a step on offense due to fatigue. With the defensive depth on both sides, it’s easy to believe that the under is the safer pick the rest of the way.
Moneyline
(-110)
This is where your faith is tested. Are the Suns going to close out the Clippers and reach the Finals for the first time since 1993? Players and coaches are confident that’ll be the case, but adjustments in the past three games are sparce.
The Clippers have nothing to lose. Kawhi Leonard, the best player on the team, isn’t playing. Ivica Zubac is down. Yet, a sense of urgency has never faltered for them in this series.
The Suns are thriving on just being the healthier and deeper team. If Phoenix matches the urgency of the Clippers then the game and series could get out of hand quick.
Parlay: Player Three-Pointers
Devin Booker (3+), Paul George (4+), Reggie Jackson (4+)
Two of the three players above eclipsed these numbers in Game 5. Booker shot 4-6, George shot 3-6 and Jackson shot 4-7. The Clippers need George and Jackson to hit threes at a high rate in order to overcome the elite mid-range shot making ability of the Suns. Jackson leads the playoffs in threes, shooting at an efficient 42 percent from downtown.
Booker is the wild card for this parlay. He’s shooting 9-28 from beyond the arc in this series. With the mask on, he appears to be more comfortable from mid-range and even in the lane. However, if he hits a few early threes then he can heat up and knock down a higher volume.
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Game 6 starts at 6:00 p.m. PST on ESPN. Follow @sports360az on Twitter for live updates throughout the game.
