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The Phoenix Suns don’t mind losing as they hope to get a good chance at the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, and that’s something they have done with regularity of late. Phoenix has dropped 12 straight games and may not be able to turn that around this week when they face off against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Oklahoma City is playoff bound and has kept the ship afloat despite the loss of star Kevin Durant in the offseason. Russell Westbrook will be the best player on the court and will make the Thunder the favorite in this one despite the fact that it is playing on the road.
The Suns have some good young talent but the whole team isn’t there yet as they continue to struggle night in and night out.
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Odds Analysis
The Suns are 22-56 straight up and 38-39-1 against the spread. Phoenix has done well at home this season, covering in 20 of 38 attempts. The Suns are 35-29-1 against the spread as the underdog on the year, doing a nice job of covering the spread when getting points. They will aim to do so again in this one.
Oklahoma City is 44-33 straight up and 42-35 against the spread. The Thunder has been fantastic at home against the spread but is only 16-21 on the road and will aim to improve on that mark. Oklahoma City is a fantastic 31-16 against the spread as the favorite on the season.
Last Meeting
Despite Westbrook ‘s 48 points, 17 rebounds and nine assists against Phoenix on March 3rd, the Suns got the best of the Thunder, winning 118-110 at home. Phoenix is in last place in the Western Conference currently with no shot at a playoff berth this season but would be happy with another win.
The win was a team effort for Phoenix who had six players in double-digits. Eric Bledsoe finished with a team-high 18 points and Devin Booker had 17. Bledsoe has since been shut down for the season, which is part of the reason why Phoenix has struggled badly.
Oklahoma City is 2-1 against the Suns this year, winning the first matchup on October 28th in overtime and then capturing a more convincing 114-101 win on December 17th. No doubt, the Thunder will be looking to put last month’s shocking upset behind them on this trip to Phoenix and bank another victory.
Player to Watch
Westbrook -- Just when Thunder fans didn’t think it was possible, the star point guard got even better. He put up some of his best numbers of the season last month and shows no signs of letting off the gas.
Westbrook finished with 40 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in the Thunder’s loss to the Hornets on April 2nd. Last month, he recorded two 50-plus point games finishing with 57 against Orlando on March 29th and dropping 58 on Portland on March 7th.
Westbrook is averaging 31.9 points, 10.4 rebounds and 10.6 assists on the season. He is one of the finalists for this year’s league MVP and, with his recent numbers, is making a very strong case for himself. He recently tied Oscar Robertson’s record for triple-doubles in a season and seems a shoo-in to break that mark, possibly in this matchup.
Free NBA ATS Pick
Suns star Devin Booker should put up some big numbers in this one as Phoenix won’t have much trouble scoring, but the defense is the issue. Expect Westbrook to do nearly anything he wants on the court and lead his team to victory.
This one should be a high-scoring affair, with Oklahoma City coming away with the victory as it has the superstar in its corner and a better supporting cast.
NBA Odds: Thunder 125, Suns 119
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