Phoenix Suns-Los Angeles Clippers betting preview: Odds, props, matchups and more for the Western conference final

Back in 2006, the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers went the distance in a best-of-seven series that saw the NBA MVP, Steve Nash, put forth a 29-point, 11-assist series-clinching performance in Game 7 — bringing Phoenix to a second-straight Western Conference Finals appearance. The Clippers fell to the Suns 4-3 in their first of what would become several failed attempts throughout the following years at advancing beyond the second round and into the conference finals for the first time in the franchise’s history.

Fifteen years later, the Suns — led by Chris Paul and Devin Booker — are back in the conference finals for the first time since the 2009-2010 season, after completing a 4-0 sweep of the No. 3-seed Denver Nuggets. And, as in 2010, the opponent that stands in Phoenix’s way of the NBA Finals hails from L.A. Only this time, the challenger is the Clippers, who less than 48 hours ago climbed all the way out of another 0-2 hole to defeat the No. 1-seed Utah Jazz in six games. And just as fate would have it, Los Angeles’ first-ever appearance in the conference finals is against none other than Chris Paul, who revived the franchise from the dead in 2011 and brought them to contender status over the past decade before moving on for greener pastures.

Who will win the series?

All of the intrigues of which side gets revenge over the other will have to wait, however, with Chris Paul being unable to participate in Sunday’s Game 1 due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols. Along with Paul is Kawhi Leonard, who also will miss Game 1 as he rehabs a knee injury that originated during the conference semifinals. The potential ramifications of these superstars’ health issues could loom large for both teams, yet, despite the Clippers’ recent success without Leonard in its final two wins of the Jazz series, the oddsmakers at BetMGM still see Phoenix as the favorites to win the series and advance to the NBA Finals.

The two teams played three incredibly intense games against one another that featured an abundance of physicality and trash-talking. Los Angeles won the first two games and Phoenix the final. All three were low-scoring affairs, and the total combined points never rose above 219 in any of the games, with the Clippers’ 113 points being the highest tally at any point in the season series for either squad. However, both the Suns and Clippers are coming off one of its best scoring games of the playoffs and prolific offensive showings during round two — Phoenix at 121.5 points per game and Los Angeles at 120.0. Still, consistent offensive production remains open to question given the significant absences ahead of Game 1.

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Game 1 – Game Lines

There are undoubtedly other superstar players on both Phoenix and L.A. that are capable enough of shouldering the load, though, and they’ll get an early crack at doing so in this series.

Paul George scored 30 or more points in 13 of the 54 games he played during the 2020-2021 regular season. Six of those 30-point performances were in games that Kawhi Leonard did not play in. The relevance? Well, Leonard is officially ruled out of Sunday’s Game 1 between the Suns and Clippers as he continues to recover from what the team is reporting as a right knee sprain. George will be the go-to guy once again as he was during Games 5 and 6 of the conference semifinals, where he added another 30-point game to his postseason resume. Not to mention, George averaged 32.3 points across three games against the Suns — including a 39 and 33-point showing. So he’ll have an opportunity to hit a similar mark on Sunday.

Game 1 – Player Props

With Chris Paul playing in 70 of the 72 regular-season games this season, Devin Booker didn’t have the same opportunity to be the lone superstar as frequently as George had without Leonard. As a result, he played just a single match without Paul, which scored 36 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, Booker scored 30 or more points in 22 of 67 outings during the regular season and has notched at least 30 on five different occasions this postseason — four during round one against the Lakers when a shoulder injury seriously limited Chris Paul. Paul won’t be in the lineup, for the time being, so Booker will likely be relied on to fill some voids.

Who will win the NBA championship?

As we saw during the Nets-Bucks Eastern Conference Semifinals, injuries can play a significant role in determining the outcome of a series. With the status of one of the Clippers’ and Suns’ best players uncertain, so shall any particular projections. Nevertheless, whichever team eventually comes out of the series on top will be four wins closer to its first NBA championship.

(Photo of Rajon Rondo and Devin Booker: Christian Petersen / NBAE via Getty Images; The Athletic may receive an affiliate commission if you open an account with BetMGM through links contained in the above article.)