A rematch of last season’s NBA Finals hits the hardwood on Sunday when the Phoenix Suns visit the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks earned their first title in 50 years knocking off the Western Conference champs in six games, which included winning the last four. Phoenix hadn’t lost four games in a row the entire season before the Finals. While Chris Paul would have been a good choice for MVP had the Suns won the series, he’ll miss this game with a hand injury that has him on the shelf for likely the remainder of the regular season. The Suns were dealt another blow when leading scorer Devin Booker was placed in the league’s health and safety protocols and probably won’t be available on Sunday.
Sunday’s game between the Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks will air live on ABC with tip off at 3:30 p.m. ET from Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, WI. BookMaker.eu will have betting options for every game on the NBA schedule.
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Odds Analysis
Phoenix has had the best record in the NBA since putting together a club record 18-game winning streak early in the season. And they entered the All-Star break with a record of 48-10. There was reason for concern, though, since Paul didn’t join the club after the hiatus, instead having surgery on a broken thumb. The Suns won their first game after the break taking out OKC, but dropped their next two. That slide ended on Wednesday with a 30-point victory over Portland without their starting backcourt. The Suns have made backers money at the betting window going 34-28 ATS overall, but they haven’t been as successful recently going 2-4 ATS in the last six.
The defending champs have been near the top of the East standings all season, not being able to put a lengthy winning streak together to take over the top slot. Far too often the wins were followed by a losing streak often negating what the team had just accomplished. Fortunately there have been more win streaks and they’ve lasted longer putting the Bucks at 38-25 SU. The Bucks ended a two-game slide and a run of four losses in five games with a 130-106 payout victory over Charlotte on Monday. That was followed by a 120-119 win over East leading Miami on Wednesday. Milwaukee failed to cover the 4.5-point line in that one falling to 1-6 ATS in their last seven games.
Phoenix Suns
Paul has been an ironman since joining the Suns last season. The Suns had one of the finest seasons in team history going 51-21 with Paul playing all but two games. CP3 also missed two postseason games, but he’s been a big part of what the club has become. So, when it was announced he would miss six to eight weeks with a thumb injury there was some reason for concern. And when the Suns dropped two in a row last week with leadership and ball-handling issues, the thought of not having CP3 worried some.
Phoenix is deep and their playoff run last season certainly helped their mental game. Cam Johnson chipped in 20 points in the win over Portland when both CP3 and Devin Booker were sidelined. The return of Cameron Payne also helped. Payne returned after a length absence to solidify the backcourt while the team waits for Booker to clear the protocols.
Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks were embarrassed by the Suns a few weeks ago and that resounding loss should still be fresh. Winning the championship the season before still takes precedent, but that was last season, and the Suns fired the first salvo in what could be another Finals matchup. The Bucks have a gauntlet of teams to get through in the East with the conference top heavy. And securing home court advantage for at least one round of the playoffs would be huge in a potential repeat. Also huge is the play of Giannis antetokounmpo, who has again put up MVP numbers. Giannis is the NBA’s second leading scorer with 29.3 points per game and he averages 11.5 rebounds.
Brook Lopez was a huge part of the team’s championship success, yet he played in just one game before being shelved with a back injury. The Bucks added some frontcourt depth at the trade deadline acquiring Serge Ibaka, who won a title with Toronto a few seasons ago. The Bucks are a strong home team with their 22 wins the second most in the East. And I suspect they’ll have a few reasons to want a win.
Suns at Bucks NBA Odds Pick
The loss of CP3 definitely hurts the Suns, especially when they play some top-flight competition. Phoenix is more than capable of beating the Portland’s of the league without their All-Star backcourt, but when it comes time to face some of the best the absence will be noticeable. At least the Suns will get Booker back in the lineup soon, but missing Sunday’s tilt leaves the visitors shorthanded and a bind they won’t be able to overcome.
NBA Odds Prediction: Milwaukee Bucks / OVER
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