Kevin Durant returns to his former team in a key clash between the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors as both sides chase a Western Conference Play-In spot.
The Suns are ninth in the west, but they have suffered just one fewer loss than the 11th-placed Warriors.
Golden State’s red-hot start quickly fizzled out, pushing them out of the Play-In places. That is far from ideal as Steph Curry’s incredible career begins to wind down.
The Warriors showed some real fight by seeing off the West’s top side in their last home game, but will that carry over into this encounter with the Suns?
Golden State picked up an impressive 116-109 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in its last game, with Steph Curry playing a key role in that win. That success left the Warriors 3-1 across a four-game homestand, following comprehensive wins over the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz.
While the Warriors look to be improving, they are underdogs going into the fifth of six straight games in the Bay Area. The Suns are 1.5-point favorites, despite a 121-113 loss at home to the Minnesota Timberwolves in their last game.
The Suns have the worst record in the NBA in terms of covering the spread. They have won the spread line just 16 times, representing just 35.6 percent of their games. With such a thin margin between the two sides, the Warriors hold more appeal on the Moneyline at +100 than with an extra point and a half at -110.
The Warriors beat the Suns in California in late December and little about this top-heavy Phoenix team appeals. The visitors have a 9-13 road record this season and given they rank 26th defensively, the Warriors look capable of causing them problems.
While the Suns continue to pursue Jimmy Butler, their only mid-season acquisition so far is Nick Richards. The center has put up some solid numbers since moving from the Charlotte Hornets, but his averages have been swung by some big nights against poor teams.
Richards appears to be thriving on a more competitive team, with his points per game jumping from 8.9 to 11 since his trade. He’s also seen his rebounds jump from 7.5 to 10.2, which more than clears his combined number for this matchup.
However, Richards has done his best work in wins over the Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards. He scored 20 against the Wizards and 21 in his Warriors debut against the Pistons.
However, he’s only hit double figures in points in four of his previous 14 games.
In tougher clashes with the Cleveland Cavaliers, LA Clippers and Timberwolves, Richards has recorded four, seven and five rebounds. Across those three games, he scored a combined 17 points.
The Warriors are 10th in terms of defensive rating, fourth in the league for offensive rebounds and third overall for rebounds. Richards faces a tough night, so back him to fall short of this number.
One man primed to impress is Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski. He returned to the lineup at the start of this homestand and he’s been impressive, despite regularly featuring in trade rumors.
The sophomore has scored at least 10 points in each of his previous four games. He had strong nights against the Los Angeles Lakers and the Jazz with 17 and 20 points, while he scored an efficient 11 against the Thunder.
Podziemski’s three-point attempts and percentage is notably better at home than away. He’s also set to benefit from a Suns team which is short on defenders.
The guard should be able to benefit from the space Curry creates, so back him to continue his hot streak.
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Phoenix Suns | -120 ML |
Golden State Warriors | +100 ML |
Spread | PHX Suns -1.5 |
Total Points | O/U 228.0 |
Devin Booker (PHX Suns) | O/U 26.5 |
Kevin Durant (PHX Suns) | O/U 25.5 |
Stephen Curry (GS Warriors) | O/U 24.5 |
Andrew Wiggins (GS Warriors) | O/U 19.5 |
Bradley Beal (PHX Suns) | O/U 12.5 |
Buddy Hield (GS Warriors) | O/U 10.5 |
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.