Half the league is on the Sunday NBA odds board, including the only team that’s winning at an 80%-plus clip. But that team, the Phoenix Suns, is without star guard Chris Paul for the next six to eight weeks due to a thumb injury.
And the Pacific Division-leading Suns face a sturdy challenge today, hosting the Northwest Division-leading Utah Jazz. Also on the docket: the Dallas Mavericks at the Golden State Warriors, and the Los Angeles Lakers hosting the New Orleans Pelicans.
Props.com dives into Sunday NBA odds and action, with insight from multiple oddsmakers.
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Sunday NBA Odds And Betting Action
Pelicans vs Lakers (10 p.m. ET)
UPDATE 9:15 P.M. ET: Forty-five minutes before tipoff, the Lakers are 2.5-point favorites at WynnBet. Los Angeles opened -3 late Saturday morning, dipped to -1 Saturday night, then climbed back to -3 within the past hour, before inching down to -2.5. Ticket count is 6/1 and money beyond 4/1 on the Lakers. The total opened at 226.5, bottomed out at 222 this morning and is now 224.5, with tickets 3/1 on the Over, but money running dead even.
UPDATE 12:30 P.M. ET: The only reason we’re including this matchup of sub-.500 teams is because one of those outfits is the profoundly disappointing Lakers. Los Angeles (27-32 SU, 26-33 ATS) is currently ninth in the Western Conference, meaning it would have to get through the play-in round to reach the NBA playoffs.
In Friday’s return from the All-Star break, the Lakers were laying 3 points against their L.A. roommate Clippers and lost 105-102. The Lake Show is 3-8 SU (6-5 ATS) in its last 11 games.
New Orleans (24-36 SU, 29-30-1 ATS) has blown hot and cold over the past month-plus. The Pelicans lost four in a row, won four in a row, then went on a 1-4 skid entering the break. But surprisingly, the Pelicans returned from the hiatus with a 117-102 road victory as 6-point pups against the NBA-leading Suns on Friday night.
Los Angeles is 4-1 SU and ATS in its last five meetings with New Orleans.
This line has bounced around a bit in DraftKings’ Sunday NBA odds market. The Lakers opened -1.5 Saturday night and rose to -2 early this morning, then the number briefly flipped to Pelicans -1 later this morning and is now Lakers -1. Los Angeles is landing 70% of early spread bets and 74% of early spread money. The total moved from 224.5 to 225, then dropped to 222 this morning, before rebounding to 223 (Under -115). The Over is taking 60% of bets/89% of cash.
Mavericks vs Warriors (7:30 p.m. ET)
UPDATE 6:30 P.M. ET: Golden State landed on WynnBet’s Sunday NBA odds board as a 4.5-point favorite and is -3.5 an hour before tipoff. Dallas is taking the majority of tickets and money, at 56% and 60%, respectively. The total opened at 219 and is now 218, although 87% of tickets/78% of dollars are on the Over.
Dallas (35-25 SU, 33-27 ATS) has been solid on the court and at the ticket window lately, going 6-2 SU and 7-1 ATS in its last eight games. On Friday, the Mavericks lost to the Jazz 114-109 but covered as 6.5-point road underdogs.
Golden State and Dallas split two previous meetings this season, with the home team winning and cashing in blowout fashion.
The Warriors opened at -3.5 (-115) and quickly moved to -4 (-115) Saturday night at DraftKings. Late this morning, Golden State returned to -3.5 (-115) and is now -3.5 flat, though tickets are running 4/1 and money 6/1 on the Warriors. The total rose from 218.5 to 220.5 by this morning, then dialed back to 219, but the Over is taking practically all the early tickets and money.
Jazz vs Suns (3:30 p.m. ET)
UPDATE 2:30 P.M. ET: An hour before tipoff, WynnBet has Utah as a 3-point road chalk (-115), after opening the Jazz -1 and stretching to -3.5. Phoenix is netting a modest majority 53% of spread tickets, while Utah is nabbing 64% of spread money. The total dipped from 227.5 to 225.5, with ticket count almost 4/1 and money 9/1 on the Under.
UPDATE 12:30 P.M. ET: Paul fractured his thumb in the final game before the All-Star break, a 124-121 victory over Houston, in which Phoenix was a hefty 16.5-point home chalk. He could miss the rest of the regular season.
The Suns (49-11 SU, 33-27 ATS) were fortunate to return from the break with a matchup against one of the NBA’s worst teams. Phoenix, laying 10.5 points on the road, dumped Oklahoma City 124-104 minus Paul on Thursday night. However, Friday night at home against a subpar New Orleans outfit, the Suns tumbled 117-102 as 6-point favorites. That halted an eight-game SU win streak (5-3 ATS).
Utah (37-22 SU, 26-31-2 ATS) returned from the All-Star break with a 114-109 win against Dallas, though the Jazz fell short at the betting window as 6.5-point home faves. Utah is 7-1 SU in its last eight but has dropped two in a row ATS after a five-game spread-covering run.
Phoenix is 2-0 SU (1-1 ATS) against Utah this season, as the two teams previously met in a home-and-home set on Jan. 24 and 26. In fact, the Suns have won six in a row SU over the Jazz and are 6-1 ATS in the last seven clashes.
DraftKings opened Phoenix as 1-point chalk on its Sunday NBA odds board, but the line has since run the other way to Utah -2.5 (-105). The Suns are taking 55% of tickets and 59% of money on the spread. The total opened at 227 Saturday night, peaked at 228 this morning, and is now down to 225.5 (Under -115), although 68% of bets/86% of dollars are on the Over.