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The Phoenix Suns (20-21) visit the Golden State Warriors (20-20) on Tuesday night. Action tips off at 10:00 p.m. ET. Below we continue our NBA odds series with a Suns-Warriors prediction and pick.
Phoenix has lost nine of their last ten games and tumbled to eighth place in the Western Conference. The Suns covered 49% of their games while 55% went under the projected point total. Golden State has lost two straight games and sits in seventh place in the West. The Warriors covered 46% of their games while 56% went over. This will be the third of four meetings between the two teams. The Suns won both previous meetings in Phoenix by double digits.
Here are the Suns-Warriors NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Suns-Warriors Odds
Phoenix Suns: +12 (-110)
Golden State Warriors: -12 (-110)
Over: 231 (-108)
Under: 231 (-112)
How To Watch Suns vs. Warriors
TV: TNT
Stream: TNT Live
Time: 10:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Suns Could Cover The Spread
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. At one point the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, the Suns have fallen apart since star Devin Booker went down with an injury. They have since cratered and are clinging to the eighth seed. Things won’t get any easier tonight as they’ll be missing Chris Paul due to injury. Center Deandre Ayton and forward Torrey Craig are also both questionable. With so many key guys out, the Suns will need their role players to step up if they want to cover as huge road underdogs.
If there is a potential X-factor for Phoenix tonight it is undrafted guard Duane Washington Jr. The former Ohio State guard is a relative no-name but has been one of the lone bright spots for Phoenix in recent games. Over his last five games, Washington Jr. has averaged 11.8 PPG and shot 36% from three. That is despite playing just 15 minutes per game. Although he has eclipsed 20 minutes just three times, he’s scored 26, 13, and 25 points in those outings. Two of those three have come in their last two games – with his most recent outing being the most impressive. Despite their loss to the Cavaliers, Washington scored 25 points and nailed 5-6 threes.
Forward Mikal Bridges has to step up if the Suns want to cover tonight. Primarily a role player when everyone is healthy, Bridges hasn’t taken the leap many expected him to with an expanded role. Although he brings a lot on defense, Bridges has averaged just 14.2 PPG over their last five games. That being said, he averaged 20 PPG on 68% shooting in their two prior wins over Golden State this year and could be in for another strong performance against a poor Warriors defense.
Why The Warriors Could Cover The Spread
Golden State has weathered the storm with star Steph Curry out and is firmly in the mix in the Western Conference. They’ve gone 6-5 in the 11 games Curry has missed and have remained surprisingly competitive. Although they have suffered back-to-back home losses to the Pistons and Magic, the Warriors have an excellent chance of covering tonight thanks to the return of Steph Curry.
After a long 11 games, Steph Curry will make his return to the floor tonight. It remains to be seen how much Curry will play initially, but he undoubtedly vaults them back into the tier of contenders. Prior to his injury, Curry was in the midst of one of the best seasons of his career. For the season, Steph averages 30 PPG and 6.8 APG. He shoots 50% from the floor and an absurd 43% from beyond the arc. That high percentage is even more impressive considering he had averaged five made three-pointers tonight. With Steph back, the Warriors will likely be energized and motivated to get revenge of a team that trounced them twice earlier in the season.
Without Curry, both Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole saw major upticks in their usage and production. Poole leads the team in scoring in the last 11 games, averaging 27.9 PPG. He’s put together two 40-point outings in Curry’s absence and demonstrated he can carry the load when his outside shot is falling. The combo guard eclipsed 20 points in 10 of the 11 games Curry missed. Any worries about Klay being washed have quickly passed, however, as he has been on fire of late. Thompson has averaged 26 PPG in Curry’s absence. In that time, he averaged 4.4 made threes per game and made them at a 38% clip. He scored 54 in their win over Atlanta and has drained at least three three-pointers in each of their last five games.
Final Suns-Warriors Prediction & Pick
With Phoenix missing key players and Steph returning, I like Golden State to get revenge for their prior beatdowns tonight.
Final Suns-Warriors Prediction & Pick: Golden State Warriors -12 (-110)