The NEW ORLEANS and the PHOENIX will both be gunning for a victory on 12/29/2020 at 10:05 PM when they meet in a game matchup.
NEW ORLEANS vs PHOENIX
When: 12/29/2020 10:05 PM
Where:
| ROT | TEAM | PS | OU | ML |
| 567 | NEW ORLEANS | -3 (-110) | 222 (-110) | 135 -155 |
| 568 | PHOENIX |
TV: 10:05 PM
LINE: -3
PREDICTION: PHOENIX , NEW ORLEANS
Oddsmakers currently have the PHOENIX listed as -3 point favorites versus the NEW ORLEANS, while the game’s total is sitting at 222.
| Tony’s Pick | TEAM |
| NEW ORLEANS | 135 |
A pair of teams looking to move into the 2020-21 playoff conversation will meet in an early-season clash Tuesday when the New Orleans Pelicans hit the road to face the Phoenix Suns.
The Pelicans have not made the playoffs since the end of the 2017-18 season, while the Suns have not sniffed the top eight in the Western Conference since 2009-10.
Both teams are 2-1 on the young season and are coming off victories Sunday with the Pelicans upending the San Antonio Spurs 98-95 at home, while the Suns got the best of the Sacramento Kings 116-100 in a road game.
The Pelicans’ Brandon Ingram scored 28 points in the victory over the Spurs and has averaged 26.7 points on the season. He is getting plenty of help from Zion Williamson, who scored 18 against the Spurs and has averaged 21.7 points to open his first full season.
The 20-year-old Williamson was limited to 24 games last season because of a knee injury in training camp and averaged 22.5 points in an electric start to his career. He has 11.7 rebounds per game to open the current schedule.
The Pelicans won Sunday’s game despite shooting 38.3 percent (36 of 94) from the floor and 20.8 percent (5 of 24) from 3-point range. Instead, they used a 56-47 rebounding advantage and forced 15 San Antonio turnovers in order to take control. They also had a 13-4 advantage on offensive rebounds.
“Look, I told these guys afterwards, it sounds crazy, but as a coach, these are my favorite kinds of wins,” new head coach Stan Van Gundy said. “Not that I want to shoot like that every night, but to shoot 38 percent and 20 percent from 3 in the NBA and be able to get a win against a good team, to me, is a great way to win.
“Every team in this league — every team — can beat any team on their best night. The good teams have to be able to win on less than their best nights.”
The Suns are seeing early success from their new guard combination as Devin Booker has scored 22.7 points per game, while veteran Chris Paul has 12.7 points and 9.7 assists in his first season in Phoenix.
Suns forward Mikal Bridges continues to improve in his third season scoring 16.3 points per game after leading the team with 22 in Sunday’s victory. Second-year forward Cameron Johnson had 21 off the bench against the Kings and has scored 14.7 points per game.
The Suns were on a nine-game winning streak going back to last season before they lost at Sacramento on Saturday in the opener of a back-to-back between the teams.
“I say we’re getting better and it’s a work in progress,” Booker said Sunday. “Film has done really well for us, communication has done really well for us, and we talk about trusting the system. We have a lot of new players out there trying to figure each other out but always with the right intention.”
The teams split their two matchups last season with the Suns scoring a season-high 139 points in an overtime victory at New Orleans on Dec. 5 of 2019. Booker scored a season-high 44 points in that game.
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