The Phoenix Suns are rising out West. The Suns are now on a four-game winning streak after a hard-fought road win at Minnesota, which has pulled them to within a few percentage points of the San Antonio Spurs for the seventh seed in the Western Conference. Phoenix has a golden opportunity to grab hold of sole possession of seventh when it visits the Alamo City to face the struggling Spurs on Friday.
Will the Suns keep their winning streak intact against the wily Spurs? Continue reading on below for more on this Western Conference showdown with possible playoff ramifications. And don’t forget to check out more of Friday’s NBA action with our previews of the Cavs vs. Warriors and Bulls vs. Warriors.
[sc:NBAArticles ]Phoenix Suns vs. San Antonio Spurs Betting Preview
Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio
When: Friday, January 9, 8:30 PM ET
Line: Phoenix Suns at San Antonio Spurs – view all NBA lines
Betting on the Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are scoring the ball like they’re back in the Seven Seconds or Less era. The Suns have been averaging 113.6 points per game over their last 11 games, just a fraction better than the league-leading Golden State Warriors. As a result, the Suns have also been winning like one of the Steve Nash-led SSoL teams, going 9-2 in those 11 games, both straight up and against the spread.
[sc:NBA240banner ]Their break-neck pace (ranked fourth in the NBA) has meant that they’ve also been giving up a lot of points (106.3 points per game over the past 11 games) to their opposition. Combined with their offensive output, the total has gone over in seven of the 11 games.
The Suns’ supercharged backcourt rotation of Eric Bledsoe, Goran Dragic, Isaiah Thomas and Gerald Green has been integral in their great run. All four topped 17 or more points against the Timberwolves, and are all averaging 15 or more points during their four-game winning streak.
The key for the Suns at San Antonio will be to win the backcourt matchup with the Spurs’ equally deep collection of guards. With Tony Parker’s possible rustiness having just returned from a long injury layoff and Patty Mills’ bouts of inconsistency, there’s every chance the Suns guards gain the edge in that matchup.
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Betting on the San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are right on the edge of falling completely out of the Western Conference playoff picture. San Antonio has been atypically inconsistent over the last month, going just 9-11 (8-12 against the spread) over its last 20 games.
The Spurs’ up-and-down performance has been largely due to their many injury concerns. Tony Parker has just returned to give the offense a boost, but last year’s Finals MVP, Kawhi Leonard, is still a week or so away from returning to action.
The Spurs could definitely use Parker’s added firepower, especially since their defense hasn’t played well enough to win them games. They have been outscored by 18 points over the last 10 games, a far cry from the offense that was No. 1 in efficiency last season. Meanwhile, their defense is giving up 105.7 points per 100 possessions during that stretch, on par with the 76ers and the struggling Cavs.
Given their problems defensively, the Spurs will need to put up a lot of points to beat the Suns, which they are still equipped to do. They can get points from anywhere in their deep roster, while Tim Duncan (15.5 points per game this season) will look to exploit mismatches in the paint against the Suns’ less than impressive frontcourt.
The Spurs have not had many problems scoring at home this season. They’re averaging 107.2 points per game, a full 10 points better than their output on the road.
Writer’s Prediction
The Spurs cool the Suns off and get the home win, but the Suns stay close and cover on the road.
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