The Phoenix Suns will travel to take on the Miami Heat in a Monday night NBA matchup at the FTX (lol) Arena in Miami. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NBA odds series, which includes a Suns-Heat prediction and pick, laid out below.
Phoenix has opened their season at 8-4, losing three of their last five games. Head coach Monty Williams has been at the helm for Phoenix for four seasons now, making the playoffs in the last two seasons. Phoenix now finds themselves in third place in the Western Conference.
Miami has struggled to a 6-7 record, tenth place in the Eastern Conference. Head coach Erik Spoelstra is now in his fifteenth season as the leader of Miami, spanning Dwyane Wade and LeBron James all the way to Jimmy Butler. Miami is riding a two-game winning streak following consecutive wins over Charlotte.
Here are the Suns-Heat NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Suns-Heat Odds
Phoenix Suns: +2 (-108)
Miami Heat: -2 (-112)
Over: 215 (-110)
Under: 215 (-110)
Why The Suns Could Cover The Spread
Devin Booker has continued his run of dominance, leading the team with 26.7 points per game. Since averaging 13.8 points in his rookie season, Booker has averaged at least 22 points per game in every season since. Booker shot 38.4 percent from behind the three-point line, which would be a career best in a full season. Point guard Chris Paul, who is questionable for this matchup with a heel injury, leads the team with 9.4 assists and 1.7 steals per game. Paul is averaging 9.5 points per game this season. Big man Deandre Ayton leads the team with 7.3 rebounds per game, also scoring 14.5 points per game. Mikal Bridges ranks second with 15.7 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Bridges shot an impressive 55.5 percent from the field. Cameron Payne is averaging 12.1 points per game, seeing his minutes increase in the absence of Cameron Johnson, who is set to miss at least a month after knee surgery.
Phoenix has scored 112.5 points per game, which ranks 15th in the league. Miami’s defense has been decent, ranking 11th in the league in opponent scoring. On the back of Paul, Phoenix ranks sixth in the league with 27.4 assists per game. Phoenix’s defense is tops in the league, holding opponents to 105.5 points per game, the lowest total in the league.
Why The Heat Could Cover The Spread
Brendan Smith ·
Sam DiGiovanni ·
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Jimmy Butler leads the team with 22.1 points and 6.1 assists per game. The 33-year-old star shot 48.7 percent from the field. Tyler Herro, who is second on the team with 19.6 points per game, is questionable for this game with an ankle injury. Bam Adebayo leads the team with 9.1 rebounds, ranking third with 18.2 points per game. Point guard Kyle Lowry is averaging 13.0 points and 5.8 assists per game, which ranks second on the team. Max Strus is playing the most minutes per game in his career, and has rewarded that faith with 15.5 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. Strus is shooting 46.5 percent from the field.
Miami’s offense has struggled a bit, averaging 110.5 points per game, which ranks 19th in the league. From the free throw line, Miami has shot 86.7 percent, which could prove advantageous in this one, as Phoenix is averaging 21.5 fouls per game.
Final Suns-Heat Prediction & Pick
With the possibility of a hobbled Tyler Herro, I am surprised to see Phoenix as the underdog. They may just win this one outright.
Final Suns-Heat Prediction & Pick: Phoenix +2 (-108), over 215 (-110)
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