NBA 2022/23, on Friday, 07.04.2023
Before the play-offs really get underway next week, there will already be a taste of things to come in the duel between the Phoenix Suns and the Denver Nuggets.
The visitors have played a dream season so far, but in my Suns Nuggets tip I expect an even better performance from the Arizonans. Because the Kevin Durant trade now seems to be paying off in full!
The Nuggets will make their next attempt to clinch 1st place in the Western Conference tonight. They visit the most successful team in the NBA at the moment.
The Suns are riding a wave of success that has already brought them six wins in a row and came at just the right time. They are now in a position to clinch 4th place and put themselves in a good position for the play-offs.
The decisive factor for the winning march of the Arizonans is certainly the now recovered Kevin Durant, who has had to take a break now and then due to injuries since his trade, but is an absolute guarantee for success when he plays.
While Durant has only been back in the starting five for a few days, the Suns have won all the regular-season games he has played in (7-0). This is certainly a good argument for a possible PHX win bet tonight.
Especially since “Durantula” is by no means a sole entertainer in the offence of a team that bases its success on several pillars. In yesterday’s 115-94 triumph over the Spurs, the NBA icon was even only the fourth fiddle (18).
That’s because Deandre Ayton (19), Chris Paul (22) and the all-important Devin Booker (27) all scored more points than Durant. What the reader should have just noticed as well: Yes, the Suns’ superstars are all finally fit!
The Suns are one of the absolute favourites for the title for me, precisely because their best players are now healthy and they can therefore finally call up their full performance potential.
Tonight’s visitors are the Nuggets, who have had perhaps the worst week of the regular season: 3 losses from the last 4 appearances, one of them against the upcoming opponent (93:100).
Most surprising, however, was the recent 103:124 defeat against the Houston Rockets. Jokic was on the floor, but looked a bit pale with 14 points and 10 rebounds in 25 minutes of play. Worse from the Nuggets’ point of view, however, are the injuries sustained.
If they had beaten the Rockies, they would have been in first place in the Western Conference.
But now the Nuggets have to maintain their lead against the Suns – without Jamal Murray and, in all likelihood, without Nikola Jokic.
The former suffered a thumb injury against Houston that will definitely keep him out of action until the end of the play-offs. The Serb’s absence, on the other hand, has not yet been confirmed, but again my money is on a seat in the stands.
In full gear, the Nuggets can definitely defeat the Arizonans, after all, the Western Conference leaders are 2-1 after season duels.
However, the two losses already mentioned, the first of which is already fixed, weigh heavily. Accordingly, the sports betting providers have also adjusted their Suns Nuggets odds to the conditions expected tonight at the Footprint Center.
Because in the meantime, the home side go into this NBA clash not only as clear favourites, but rather as crystal-clear favourites, with win odds of 1.36 to 3.30.
What the German bookmakers have not “adjusted”, however, are their great free bets and sports betting bonuses, which continue to earn top marks this weekend.
Conclusion: The Nuggets are currently undermanned and if they already lost to the Rockets in their best line-up, then they will be even more so against the Suns two days later.
Especially since the home side is looking for its seventh win in a row and could secure 4th place for good.
In addition, all of Phoenix’s superstars are finally healthy and in good spirits at the moment. Injury-prone NBA icons Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Kevin Durant should definitely take advantage of this collective moment tonight to make a statement!
My Suns Nugets tip: PHX wins on a -6.5 handicap.
