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On Saturday, the Golden State Warriors will battle the Phoenix Suns at the Footprint Center. It’s a Pacific Division showdown as we share our NBA odds series and make a Warriors-Suns prediction and pick.
The Warriors are coming off a 105-101 loss at home to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Likewise, the Suns are coming off a 127-116 loss at home to the Brooklyn Nets.
The Suns lead the head-to-head series 150-113, and this will be their first meeting of the season. Also, they went 3-1 against the Warriors last season. The Suns are also 7-3 against the Warriors over their last 10 games, including 4-1 over the past five games at home against them.
Here are the Warriors-Suns NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.Â
NBA Odds: Warriors-Suns Odds
Golden State Warriors: +2.5 (-108)
Moneyline: +128
Phoenix Suns: -2.5 (-112)
Moneyline: -152
Over: 229.5 (-110)
Under: 229.5 (-110)
How To Watch Warriors vs. SunsÂ
Time: 9 PM ET/6 PM PT
TV: NBA TV, NBC Bay Area and AZFA
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why the Warriors Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Warriors have lost three games in a row, and Buddy Hield’s struggles have hurt them. He was one of the main reasons why the team thrived throughout the season, especially the offense.
The Warriors rank eighth in points, but they are just 18th in field-goal shooting percentage. This inconsistency is maddening, as the Warriors also rank eighth in three-point shooting percentage. Also, failing to succeed at the charity stripe has been a major issue, as the Warriors rank last in free-throw shooting percentage. Winning the board battle has helped them, as the Warriors rank second in rebounds. Additionally, their passing prowess has been on full display as the Warriors are second in assists while also ranking 17th in turnovers. The defense remains strong, as the Warriors are ninth in blocked shots.
Stephen Curry did not play on Wednesday, which was a major reason for their loss. Unfortunately, he is dealing with a knee injury and should be considered questionable for this game. If Curry does not play, Andrew Wiggins must step up. He scored 16 points against the Thunder. As we noted before, Hield has been inconsistent in shooting the basketball. However, there is hope, as he went 5 for 8 from the floor on Wednesday. Jonathan Kuminga is another option. Significantly, the power forward is averaging 13.6 points per game and scored 19 on Wednesday.
The Warriors will cover the spread if they can spread the floor and convert on their shooting chances. Then, they must win the board battle while also hitting free throws when the Suns send them to the line.
Why the Suns Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Suns could have won the game against the Suns. Unfortunately, everything that could go wrong did go wrong. The Suns’ loss to the Nets was due to their enduring mental lapses and inability to do the little things.
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The Suns rank 15th in points. Furthermore, they rank 12th in field-goal shooting percentage, including 12th from the triples. Free throws have been mixed, as the Suns rank 17th from the charity stripe. Their ability to win the board battle has also produced mixed results, as the Suns rank 18th in rebounds. Passing has been higher, as the Suns rank 13th in assists and 10th in turnovers. But the defense needs work, as the Suns rank 19th in blocked shots.
Kevin Durant continues to play at an elite level. He averages 27.4 points per game while shooting 55.1 percent from the field, including 44.1 percent from the triples. Amazingly, he scored 30 points and eight rebounds against the Nets. Devin Booker is also playing well, averaging 24.6 points per game. Remarkably, he also played well, scoring 31 points against the Nets.
While the Suns have shot the ball well, they have continued to make mistakes and allow opponents to shoot the ball well. Unfortunately, they allowed the Nets to hit 42.9 percent of their chances from beyond the arc. Turning the ball over 17 times did not help, either.
The Suns will cover the spread if Durant, Booker, and the rest of the starting five can convert on their shooting chances. Then, they must avoid turning the ball over to prevent giving the Warriors any fast-break opportunities.
Final Warriors-Suns Prediction & Pick
The Warriors are 11-7 against the spread, while the Suns are 6-12 against the odds. Moreover, the Warriors are 6-4 against the spread on the road, while the Suns are 2-8 against the odds at home. The Warriors are 0-2 against the spread when playing within the division, while the Suns are 2-5 against the spread when facing the Pacific.
The Warriors are playing at a higher level than the Suns right now. While I can see the Suns winning this game, especially if Curry does not play, I see the Warriors covering the spread on the road.
Final Warriors-Suns Prediction & Pick: Warriors +2.5 (-108)
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