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The Phoenix Suns (21-24) will host the Brooklyn Nets (27-16) Thursday night in a night where both teams will try to perform well despite the absences of their superstars. We continue our NBA odds series with a Nets-Suns prediction and pick.
The Brooklyn Nets come into this matchup after a close loss to the tanking San Antonio Spurs. With no Kyrie Irving or Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons emerged as the leader of the squad, amassing a 10-10-11 triple-double that propelled the Nets to a near comeback. They have now 27 wins across 43 games and dropped to the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. Brooklyn looks to make another series of wins, as Durant's injury management will be a tough blow to the team.
The Phoenix Suns continue to struggle, which places them out of the playoff picture. Their most recent win came off a 12-point upset over the Golden State Warriors, which was also Damion Lee's ring ceremony. If they win out for the rest of January, despite the absence of Booker, they might be able to punch their way into playoff contention. With the way the Suns are playing, they need to make all-around production from their players to win the next set of games.
Here are the Nets-Suns NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Nets-Suns Odds
Brooklyn Nets: -1.5 (-110)
Phoenix Suns: +1.5 (-110)
Over: 221 (-110)
Under: 221 (-110)
How To Watch Nets vs. Suns
TV: TNT
Stream: NBA League Pass
Article Continues Below
Time: 10 PM ET / 7 PM PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Nets Could Cover The Spread
With Irving probable to play and Durant still sidelined, the Nets will need some offensive inspiration from their remaining players. Ben Simmons will most likely play as the main defender and playmaker, while TJ Warren, Royce O'Neale, Seth Curry, and Nic Claxton are expected to make some buckets. Despite a depleted roster, the Nets' recent outings will make this game an easy task to handle. Trying to contain the Suns is possible right now because they have not been making good shot selections.
Simmons, Curry, and Warren must play their best but they also have to show up on the defensive side of the floor. The Nets have three straight losses entering this match, making only 298 points on those defeats. They desperately need that to change if they want any chance of climbing up in the Eastern Conference ladder. The Nets have been fairly decent on the road, winning 14 of the 23 matches this season.
If the Nets are to break that trend and make another series of wins, now seems to be the ideal time for that to happen. For one, Kevin Durant is gradually progressing to a return with the Nets. It’s not that the Nets rely heavily on Durant in order to win this game, but having the former MVP back in the team, with the team meshing well despite his absence, will surely add another offensive weapon to the Nets’ playbooks, which also goes well with their outstanding defensive performances. Across the league, the Nets have consistently ranked in the top 10 of the league in field goal percentage, three-point ratio, and free-throw shooting clips.
Why The Suns Could Cover The Spread
The last 10 games of the Suns garnered them only one win. Despite these struggles, there have been noticeable differences in the way that other players stepped up in the long absence of Booker, as well as some of Chris Paul's and DeAndre Ayton's absences. Mikal Bridges has been the steady starter of Phoenix, making 15.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per night.
This is a resilient Suns team that is capable of pulling upsets from time to time. The Suns have found reliable scorers in Duane Washington Jr., Damion Lee, Dario Saric, Josh Okogie, and Landry Shamet.
The Suns can’t go wrong right now. If they are to win this game, they will need to replicate their game against Golden State, which saw them securing 57 rebounds, rejecting seven shots, and sinking 29 of 31 free throws. The Suns are averaging 112.6 points per game right now. They also make 38.4% of their threes this season, convert 80.1% of their free throws, and share the ball 26.7 times.
Final Nets-Suns Prediction & Pick
Take the Nets to cover this spread even with Irving's status up in the air. I believe this game will be close for a majority of the game but I think the Brooklyn Nets will pull away late, due to Warren, Curry, and Claxton's capabilities. The Nets are small underdogs in this game, but back them as they face the struggling Suns.
Final Nets-Suns Prediction & Pick: Brooklyn Nets -1.5 (-110)
