Suns now NBA title odds leader, slim betting favorites in Game 3 vs. Clippers
Jun 24, 2021, 7:40 AM | Updated: 8:56 am
Paul George #13 of the LA Clippers controls the ball ahead of Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns during the third quarter in game two of the NBA Western Conference finals at Phoenix Suns Arena on June 22, 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The Phoenix Suns won their ninth game in a row on Tuesday but for the first time during that playoff stretch didn’t cover.
But during their day off, a loss to start the Eastern Conference Finals by the Milwaukee Bucks moved Phoenix ahead as a favorite to win the NBA championship.
According to BetMGM, the Suns at +110, while the Bucks are +140 as of Wednesday night.
The Hawks, who beat Milwaukee, moved to +800. The Los Angeles Clippers sit far back at +1,400.
Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals went against the Clippers, 104-103, dropping the Suns to 8-1 against the spread during its winning streak.
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Oddsmakers see Game 3, the first of the matchup at Staples Center, being that close.
Betting lines opened at a point in favor of Phoenix, according to OddsShark.com, and it has already moved to even and back to 1.5 points as of the early morning before the game on Thursday.
The potential return of Suns point guard Chris Paul likely has much to do with it.
Paul is listed as probable on the NBA’s official injury list after reports indicated he has cleared hurdles, including a cardiac test, to get released from the league’s health and safety protocols, reports Yahoo! Sports’ Chris Haynes.
The over-under for Game 3 opened at 218.5 points after Game 2 featured a slow-paced slugfest.
Recent history — plus the Clippers for a game figuring out how to slow Suns star Devin Booker, who went 5-of-16 in Game 2 — explains why the betting margins are so thin between the two teams.
Los Angeles is 5-1 against the spread in the past six games and also 13-1 straight up in the past 14 games against Phoenix at home.
The Clippers, down 2-0 in this series, have already come back from that deficit in each of the first two rounds of this playoff run, against Dallas and then Utah.
