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The Phoenix Suns will finish their mini two-game series with the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday at the Moda Center. It will be a Western Conference showdown as we continue our NBA odds series and make a Suns-Trail Blazers prediction and pick.
The Suns lead the head-to-head series 134-113. Also, the Suns are 6-4 over their past 10 games, but the Blazers are 3-2 in the past five games at the Moda Center. These teams met on Saturday, with the Trail Blazers routing the Suns 127-108. Now, they will attempt to even up the series while the Suns attempt to win the season series.
Here are the Suns-Trail Blazers NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Suns-Trail Blazers Odds
Phoenix Suns: -4 (-112)
Moneyline: -178
Portland Trail Blazers: +4 (-108)
Moneyline: +150
Over: 229 (-110)
Under: 229 (-110)
How To Watch Suns vs. Trail Blazers
Time: 10 PM ET/7 PM PT
TV: KATU, KUNP, and Arizona Family
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Suns Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Suns stumbled on Saturday, unable to keep pace with the Trail Blazers. Unfortunately, it was a bad night in many ways, as the Suns fell behind and could not mount a rally.
It did not start out that way, as the Suns trailed only 31-27 after the first quarter. Sadly, everything fell apart in the second quarter, as poor offense and defense put the Suns into a 61-46 halftime deficit. From there, the Suns were playing against the grain, being unable to mount any kind of rally, and ultimately fell to the Blazers.
Devin Booker led the way with 37 points while shooting 11 for 18, including 2 for 6 from the three-point line. Moreover, he went 13 for 14 from the charity stripe. Kevin Durant had another good game, scoring 22 points while shooting 9 for 18 from the hardwood. However, he did not shoot well from the triples, going 1 for 4. The Suns got a combined 12 points from the rest of the starters.
Bradley Beal came off the bench and scored 13 points while shooting 4 for 8 from the floor, including 1 for 2 from the three-point line. Yet, the rest of the bench came off weak, not being able to sustain any momentum in the second quarter.
The Suns shot 45.2 percent from the floor, including 30.3 percent from the three-point line. Also, they converted 84.6 percent from the free-throw line. But the Suns did not do well on the boards, allowing the Trail Blazers to dominate. The offense also turned the ball over 18 times.
The defense played miserably, allowing the Trail Blazers to go off for 127 points. Also, the Suns had five steals and blocked just two shots. That must change is the Suns are to win.
The Suns will cover the spread if Durant and Booker can continue shooting the rock well while the rest of the lineup takes strides in improving. Then, the defense must defend the rim.
Why the Trail Blazers Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Blazers played well on Saturday, controlling the pace and not letting the Suns creep back into the game. Overall, all five starters finished in double figures, displaying what they were capable of when rolling on all cylinders.
De'Andre Ayton is the most important player on the Blazers. Therefore, it was unsurprising that he took over the game, scoring 24 points while shooting 11 for 12 from the field. Jeremi Grant added 20 points while shooting 5 for 10 from the floor. Meanwhile, Toumani Camara added 18 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 7 for 11 from the field. Anfernee Simons finished with 16 points while shooting 6 for 15 from the field. Likewise, Deni Avdija had 10 points.
The Blazers shot 51.7 percent from the floor but only shot 29 percent from beyond the arc. Yet, they also shot 83.9 percent from the charity stripe, going 26 for 31 from the line. The Trail Blazers also dominated the boards 43-37, including 10 offensive boards.
But it was the defense that came to play. Amazingly, they had 11 steals and blocked five shots. They must do it again, as they will face Booker and Durant for a second time in three days.
The Trail Blazers will cover the spread if the starting lineup continues rolling on all cylinders. Then, they must prevent the Suns from getting sustainable shots.
Final Suns-Trail Blazers Prediction & Pick
The Suns are 17-30-1 against the spread, while the Trail Blazers are 28-20-1 against the spread. Moreover, the Suns are 10-14 against the spread on the road, while the Blazers are 14-11 against the spread at home. The Suns are 13-15 against the spread when facing the Western Conference, while the Trail Blazers are 18-17-1 against the spread when facing the West.
The Suns are clinging to the ninth spot in the Western Conference, while the Blazers are 13th. Yet, the Suns played awful the other day and looked lost. Even if they win this game, I see it being close. The Trail Blazers cover the spread at home.
Final Suns-Trail Blazers Prediction & Pick: Trail Blazers +4 (-108)
