The Phoenix Suns (17-13) and New Orleans Pelicans (8-24) will face off in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. ET from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, La. The game will be broadcast live on Gulf Coast Sports.
The Suns are 5.5-point favorites over the Pelicans on the spread (Suns -5.5), with the over/under set at 239 total points. Phoenix is a -225 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while New Orleans is +185 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Suns vs. Pelicans predictions and NBA picks for Saturday, December 27.
Suns vs Pelicans Prediction, Picks
- Suns vs Pelicans pick: Suns -5.5 (-110)
My Pelicans vs Suns best bet is on Phoenix to cover the spread, with the best price currently available at bet365. But as always, make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Suns vs Pelicans Odds
| Suns Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-5.5 -110 | 239 -110o / -110u | -225 |
| Pelicans Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+5.5 -110 | 239 -110o / -110u | +185 |
Suns vs Pelicans NBA Preview
The Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Pelicans meet again less than 24 hours after Friday night’s matchup, which the Suns controlled late in a 115-108 win.
Devin Booker was the difference, scoring 30 points and taking over in the fourth quarter with 12 of them as Phoenix closed the game on an 18-8 run. After trailing 100-97 with under five minutes to play, the Suns executed better on both ends, while New Orleans continued to struggle at the free-throw line.
That game highlighted several key edges for Phoenix. Despite shooting just 5-of-24 from three-point range, the Suns built their advantage on the glass, outrebounding the Pelicans 31-23 in the first half and dominating second-chance points.
New Orleans had opportunities to flip the script but hurt itself by going just 25-of-42 from the line, including seven misses in the third quarter alone. Even then, the Pelicans could only cut the deficit to one entering the fourth, never truly seizing control.
Phoenix enters this rematch having won three of its last four games, including an emphatic 132-108 victory over the Lakers earlier in the week.
Booker continues to anchor the offense, and the Suns have found ways to win even when their perimeter shooting goes cold. Sitting seventh in the Western Conference, Phoenix is clearly trending in the right direction.
New Orleans, meanwhile, remains near the bottom of the standings at 14th in the West with an 8-24 record. The Pelicans did show life earlier in December with a five-game winning streak, but that momentum has stalled with back-to-back losses to the Cavaliers and now the Suns.
This will be the fifth game of the week for New Orleans, compared to the fourth for Phoenix, and fatigue is becoming a growing concern, especially after another physically demanding contest on Friday night.
Suns vs Pelicans Prediction, Betting Analysis
This matchup fits squarely into Evan Abrams’ “Fading Tired Home Teams” system. The Pelicans are at home but playing on short rest, in the middle of a heavy weekly schedule, and coming off a close, draining loss rather than a blowout that might spark a strong emotional response.
In these situations, home-court advantage tends to shrink, particularly when the visiting team has slightly fresher legs and confidence from a recent win.
Phoenix already proved it can control the matchup without needing an outlier shooting performance, relying instead on rebounding, late-game execution, and Booker’s scoring punch.
With New Orleans showing signs of fatigue and continuing to struggle in key areas like free throws, the situational edge favors the Suns once again.
The play is Suns -5.5, expecting Phoenix to take advantage of a worn-down Pelicans team and cover the number in the rematch.
Pick: Suns -5.5 (-110)
