Pelicans odds vs. Suns in must-win Game 4 for New Orleans

The New Orleans Pelicans will run it back vs. the Phoenix Suns tonight in a game four matchup that the Pels need to win.

They are down 2-1 and can’t lose both games at home if they want to have a chance to pull off the upset against top-seeded Phoenix.

The game three loss for New Orleans was a frustrating one, as they made more 3-point shots, more free throws, got 64 combined points from Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum, out-rebounded the Suns and still lost the game.

The upside is that the Pelicans didn’t play well but still only lost by three, so they should be able to get a win at home with a few adjustments and more contributions from their big men.

Jonas Valanciunas and Jaxson Hayes combined for just 10 points in the last game (the latter was thrown out for a stupid flagrant foul), and allowed Deandre Ayton to go off for 28 points and 17 boards, which offset the absence of Devin Booker.

The Suns scored 64 points in the paint, which is unacceptable from the Pelicans, as they were supposed to have the advantage down low.

The Pels also have to do a better job of taking care of the ball, as they turned it over 14 times to the Suns’ five, which was one of the deciding factors in the game.

The Pelicans will give it everything they have tonight against the Suns in a must-win game four at home.

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

According to WynnBET, the Pelicans are 2.5 point underdogs at home vs. the Suns in game four, a half point more than last game.

The money lines are set at +115 for New Orleans and -140 for Phoenix, so forget the points, take the Pelicans to win outright and get the better odds. This is a do-or-die game for NOLA, so I expect playoff intensity and a win at home tonight.

The over/under is 215 combined points, lower than last game even though the two teams easily went over. I love the over again in this one, with the Pelicans winning 115-110 to tie the series.

Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum are the obvious bets in daily fantasy, as they are going to be taking most of the shots for the Pelicans.

Valanciunas had better respond after getting soundly destroyed in the last game, but he’s still a stay-away from me until I see it in a series where he is shooting 34 percent.

I like Trey Murphy III as a low-cost play, as I think he’s going to get more run in this game in an effort to inject more offense into the lineup and stop so many mismatches on the defensive switches.

How to watch Pelicans vs. Suns

The game vs. Phoenix tips off at 8:30 PM CT because the NBA wants Pelicans’ fans to be tired and hungover on Monday morning for some reason. You can watch on Bally Sports New Orleans or TNT and you can listen on ESPN 100.3 FM.