The Los Angeles Clippers look to knot the series at 2-2 when they meet the Phoenix Suns in Game 4 of their Western Conference first-round matchup on Saturday in the 2023 NBA playoffs. The Clippers (44-38), who placed fifth in the conference, were 23-18 at home this season. The Suns (45-37), who were fourth in the West, were just 17-24 on the road, but won both road matchups with Los Angeles. The Clippers are looking to reach the conference semifinals for the third time in four years.
The game will begin at 3:30 p.m. ET from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The Suns have the sixth-best defensive unit in the NBA, allowing 111.6 points during the regular season, while the Clippers were 12th at 113.1. Phoenix is an 8-point favorites in the latest Suns vs. Clippers odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is set at 227.5. Before making any Clippers vs. Suns picks, you need to see the NBA playoff predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's advanced computer simulation model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past four-plus seasons. The model enters the second week of the 2023 NBA playoffs a stunning 71-37 on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $3,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Suns vs. Clippers and just locked in its picks and NBA playoff predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Now, here are several NBA betting lines and trends for Clippers vs. Suns:
- Suns vs. Clippers spread: Suns -8
- Suns vs. Clippers over/under: 227.5 points
- Suns vs. Clippers money line: Suns -355, Clippers +278
- PHO: The Suns are 5-1 against the spread in their last six Saturday games
- LAC: The Clippers are 5-1 ATS in their last six games following a straight-up loss
- Suns vs. Clippers picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Suns can cover
Guard Devin Booker continues to light up the Clippers. He totaled a game-high 45 points on 18 of 29 shooting, with six rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks in Game 3. Booker joins Michael Jordan (1992) and Charles Barkley (1994) as the only players in NBA history to record 105 or more points on 60% or better shooting through the first three games of the postseason. Booker averaged a career-best 27.8 points during the 2022-2023 season, tops in franchise history. He leads the league in scoring during the playoffs, averaging 36.3 points.
Small forward Torrey Craig has stepped up his play in the postseason after averaging just 7.4 points per game in the regular season. In Thursday's win, Craig scored 15 points, while grabbing four rebounds and adding two assists. He opened the series with a 22-point, four-rebound performance in the Game 1 loss to the Clippers. He is hitting 62.5% from 3-point range so far in the postseason. He shot a career-best 39.5% from 3-point range during the regular season. See who to back at SportsLine.
Why the Clippers can cover
Shooting guard Eric Gordon continues to be a steady force for Los Angeles. After averaging 12.4 points during the regular season, he has continued that productivity in the playoffs. In the series so far, Gordon is averaging 12.7 points, 2.7 assists and 1.7 rebounds in 32 minutes of action. He poured in 19 points in the series opener, and had 12 points in Game 2. In 25 career games against the Suns, Gordon is averaging 15.9 points, three assists and 2.3 rebounds in 30 minutes of action.
With Kawhi Leonard and Paul George both out with knee injuries, guard Norman Powell has tried to put his club on his shoulders. He scored 42 points in Game 3, connecting on 65.2% of his shots from the floor, including 58.3% from beyond the 3-point arc. Powell also had five rebounds, three assists and one shot block. He faced Phoenix in two games during the regular season, averaging 18.5 points and four rebounds. See who to back at SportsLine.
How to make Suns vs. Clippers picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Under on the total, projecting 220 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the model's picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Clippers vs. Suns? And which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is 71-37 on top-rated NBA picks, and find out.
