GS Warriors vs Phoenix Suns Picks and Odds
By Chris Amberley in NBA Basketball
Updated: December 16, 2022 at 2:25 am ESTPublished:
- The Phoenix Suns are a 1.5-point home favorite over the Golden State Warriors on Thursday (Jan. 28th, 10:10 pm EST)
- Phoenix has dropped three straight, while Golden State enters play fresh off back-to-back wins
- See below for analysis, odds and a betting prediction
Two teams headed in opposite directions clash on Thursday (Jan. 28th, 10:10 pm EST) as the Golden State Warriors visit the Phoenix Suns. The Warriors enter play winners of back-to-back games, including a 123-111 victory over Minnesota on Wednesday, while the Suns have dropped three straight, including a 5-point defeat to OKC on Wednesday.
Warriors vs Suns Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden State Warriors | +1.5 (-114) | -102 | Over 219.5 (-110) |
| Phoenix Suns | -1.5 (-106) | -116 | Under 219.5 (-110) |
Odds taken Jan. 28th at FanDuel.
Despite its current struggles, Phoenix opened up as a 1.5-point favorite in a game that features a modest total of 219.5. The Suns have played their last two games without leading scorer Devin Booker, and his injured hamstring could sideline him again for this meeting.
Suns Ice Cold Stretch Continues
Wednesday’s loss to the Thunder was marred by poor shooting and sloppy play. Phoenix knocked down just 37.9% of its looks, and committed 15 turnovers, which led to 20 OKC points.
Final | @Gatorade pic.twitter.com/AVziNWgCDD
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) January 28, 2021
The blew a 17-point lead and wasted a season-best 32 points from Chris Paul against his former club. The future Hall of Famer had a chance to tie the game with :10 remaining, but air balled a 3-point attempt to preserve the Thunder lead.
The Suns have now dropped five of their last six, and have scored just 209 points in two games without Booker, despite their previous game going into double overtime.
Suns GM James Jones says on @AZSports that "hopefully" they'll have Devin Booker back for tomorrow's game against the Warriors, but they'll know more after shootaround tomorrow.
— Sarah Kezele 🌵 (@SarahKezele) January 27, 2021
They rank 13th in points per 100 possessions, 15th in field goal percentage, and 18th from beyond the arc. Not surprisingly, these pedestrian offensive numbers have led to the majority of their games falling under the total, including Wednesday’s contest against OKC. The under is 3-2 in Phoenix’s last five games, and 10-6 on the season.
Warriors Wreck Timberwolves Again
Golden State meanwhile, cruised to a double-digit victory for the second time in three nights over the Timberwolves. Rookie James Wiseman scored a career-high 25 points in his new bench role, while Kelly Oubre Jr. chipped in 20, and Stephen Curry poured in 16, to go along with 8 assists and 6 rebounds.
Joy in buckets.
Joy in victory. pic.twitter.com/qcAMnTXg2Z— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) January 28, 2021
Curry’s output was his lowest in eight games, and the first time since January 10th he failed to reach 20 points. He was just 6-of-17 from the field and 4-of-11 from 3, two nights after he splashed 36 versus the same team.
When you think about the Warriors you automatically assume they’d be one of the highest scoring teams in the league, but that isn’t the case. They rank 20th in points per 100 possessions, 20th in field goal percentage and are the only team in the league with a winning record and a negative point differential.
YOO JAMES WHAT 🤯
📺 @NBCSAuthentic pic.twitter.com/7IgiiOHCJu
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) January 28, 2021
Surprisingly, it’s their defense that has exceeded expectations this season ranking 14th in points against, ninth in blocks and third in opponent field goal percentage.
Trending Under
Thursday’s contest is the lowest total in a Warriors game all season, but there’s reason to believe it could stay under 219.5. Six of Golden State’s nine games following a victory have come in under the total, and they’re only a few weeks removed from a stretch that saw five straight contests fail to hit the over.
Fourth quarter 🔒 pic.twitter.com/agsq06tHBx
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) January 28, 2021
Yes, both of their games against Minnesota went over, but the Timberwolves are atrocious defensively. Only three teams allow more points per 100 possessions than Minny, and only four yield a higher shooting percentage.
Despite Phoenix’s struggles, they’ve actually played quite well defensively. They rank eighth in points allowed per outing and nine of their 12 conference games have stayed under the total.
Pick: Under 219.5 (-110)
Sports Writer
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
