Phoenix Suns vs New Orleans Hornets -NBA Free Pick – Friday April 8, 2011
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Phoenix Suns at New Orleans Hornets
Friday, April 8, 2011 at 8:00 pm EST on NBA TV
Pointspread: New Orleans -5.5
Over/Under: 199.5
The Phoenix Suns and the New Orleans Hornets clash for the fourth time this season on Friday night at the New Orleans Arena, with the Hornets holding 2-1 edge. Tip-off is set 8 p.m. (ET) and the game will be broadcast nationally on NBA TV.
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Phoenix was officially eliminated from the postseason after losing seven of its last 10 games. The Suns did manage to beat Minnesota 108-98 as a 4 ½-point road favorite on Wednesday night to snap a four-game road losing streak. They are now 38-40 SU on the year and 36-39-3 against the spread.
Marcin Gortat had a big night against the Timberwolves with 20 points and 16 rebounds and continues to become a bigger fixture in the Suns’ lineup, but Steve Nash, Vince Carter, and Grant Hill remain the primary scoring threats for this team. Nash leads the NBA in assists with 11.4 a game and is scoring a team-high 15.1 points, while Carter is averaging 13.8 points and Hill is averaging 13.1.
Scoring has not been an issue for Phoenix this season as it is averaging 104.9 a game, which is fourth-best in the NBA. The main problem has been on defense where it is giving up an average of 105.5 points, which is ranked 26th in the league. The Suns have given up and average of 108.1 points over the past 10 games.
New Orleans was finally able to clinch a playoff spot with a 101-93 victory over Houston on Wednesday night as a three-point home favorite. This followed a 108-96 win over Indiana as a 4 ½-point home favorite this past Sunday. The Hornets have now won five of their last seven games and are currently tied with Portland for sixth-place in the Western Conference with a record of 45-33 SU (38-38-2 ATS). Each team has four games left to play.
When New Orleans’ leading scorer David West went down in late March with a season-ending knee injury, the prospect for the future did not look good. So far, Chris Paul and Carl Landry have done a great job in picking up the slack in his absence. Paul is averaging 16.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 9.8 assists a game and Landry is averaging 12.4 points and 3.9 rebounds. Trevor Ariza has also stepped up his game with 19 points in each of his last two games.
New Orleans has been one of the better defensive teams in the league; giving up an average of just 93.5 points a game. Offensively the Hornets have struggled with an average of just 95.1 points a game. They have been able to maintain this average in the six games since West went down, but his loss could take its toll in the playoffs. The good news is that New Orleans has been able to average 102.7 points in its three games this season against the Suns.
Phoenix is 3-2 ATS in its last five games on the road, but just 3-5 ATS in its last eight games overall. The total has stayed ‘under’ in three of its last four games.
New Orleans is 3-1 ATS in its last four home games and 4-2 ATS in its last six games overall. The total has stayed ‘under’ in three of its last five games.
Head-to-head, the Suns have won five of the last eight games SU, but the Hornets have won two of three this season including a 106-100 victory on March 25 as a six-point road underdog. The season series is 1-1-1 ATS and the total has gone ‘over’ in two of the three games.
The odds makers have the New Orleans Hornets as a -5.5 point favorite with an over/under of 199.5.
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Prediction: With the Suns playing out the string and New Orleans still battling for playoff position, stick with the Hornets to win and cover the 5 ½ points in this one.
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Phoenix Suns Betting Trends:
- Phoenix is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
- Phoenix is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
- Phoenix is 7-2-1 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
- The total has gone OVER in 9 of Phoenix’s last 13 games when playing New Orleans
New Orleans Hornets Betting Trends:
- New Orleans is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Orleans’s last 6 games at home
- New Orleans is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
- The total has gone OVER in 9 of New Orleans’s last 13 games when playing Phoenix
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