Pelicans odds vs. Suns: Can New Orleans slow the Phoenix juggernaut?

The New Orleans Pelicans will head west tonight to take on the Phoenix Suns, who are currently the best team in the NBA.

The Pels will get a little help over the next two games, as both the Suns and Lakers will be shorthanded without Chris Paul and Anthony Davis.

It hasn’t affected the Suns so far, as they have won eight in a row, including a blowout over the Thunder last night. People just keep overlooking the Suns in favor of teams like the Warriors, Bucks and Nets??, but they currently have a whopping 6.5-game lead for the best record in the NBA.

The Pelicans lost two straight before the break and are still trying to figure out their rotation after trading for CJ McCollum.

Can the Pels start the stretch run with a win over the juggernaut Suns?

New Orleans Pelicans vs. Phoenix Suns: Odds, spread, over/under and best bets

According to WynnBET, the Pelicans are seven point underdogs on the road tonight against the shorthanded Suns, who will be without Chris Paul for the foreseeable future.

So far it hasn’t mattered, as Cameron Johnson has stepped up in his place, showing why depth matters in the NBA regular season, something the Pelicans are all too aware of.

The money lines are set at +265 for the Pelicans and -330 for the Suns and the over/under is 225 combined points.

The Suns are the league’s best team and have only lost five games at home this season, so this one won’t be easy for the Pels, but they do have some things in their favor.

Phoenix will be on the second game of a back-to-back and will be down a key player, though New Orleans is still missing star Zion Williamson, who is unlikely to play this season.

This is about as good a time to catch the Suns as you will get, so New Orleans should be able to keep it close.

I would take the points and bet the under on this one, as these two teams average 220 points combined per game and give up around 215 between them, so 225 seems a tad high, especially considering the Suns are playing their second game in as many nights.

CJ McCollum is the Pelicans’ best-bet in daily fantasy, as he has averaged 28 points per game since joining New Orleans and has been their go-to scorer.

The question is who else is going to step up for the Pels? Brandon Ingram’s numbers have dipped since McCollum arrived, though I think they will figure it out soon.

Valanciunas is still a solid play, but other than that, it is a crapshoot for the Pelicans, which shows their lack of depth past their top four guys.

If I had to choose one role player, it would be Jaxson Hayes, who should be able to get some buckets and rebounds against the smaller Jae Crowder.

How to watch Pelicans vs. Suns

The game vs. Phoenix will tip off at 8:00 PM CT and you can watch it on Bally Sports New Orleans or listen on ESPN 100.3 FM.