Suns vs. Thunder Betting Line – New Year’s Eve
Carrie Stroup here with your Suns vs. Thunder betting line for New Year’s Eve. Oklahoma City -15.5, Total: 212.5
PHOENIX SUNS (12-22) at OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (22-10)
The Thunder will be going for their third straight win when they host the struggling Suns on New Year’s Eve.
The Suns have lost six straight games and things aren’t going to get better with PG Eric Bledsoe (20.4 PPG, 6.1 APG, 4.0 RPG, 2.0 SPG) out for the season. Phoenix has allowed over 100 points in all six of those losses and the team has scored less than 100 in all but one of those defeats. This team needs to be better on both sides of the ball if it is going to snap out of its recent funk.
The Thunder, meanwhile, have won two straight and 15 of their past 19. This team is not the one that Phoenix was hoping to face, as the Thunder are 15-4 when playing at home this season. The Suns have also dropped their last nine games in Oklahoma City dating back to 2011.
Even with Phoenix’s recent struggles, there are trends that favor both teams coming into this one. The Suns are 58-36 ATS after playing a road game over the past three seasons and the Thunder are 12-3 ATS after scoring 110 points or more in two straight games over the past two seasons.
With Eric Bledsoe out, PG Brandon Knight (19.5 PPG, 5.1 APG, 3.8 APG, 1.4 SPG) will be counted on to be a lot better for Phoenix. Knight is averaging 19.4 PPG over the past five games and will need to be a lot better moving forward. He is shooting just 39.3% from the field and 24.1% from the outside in those games. If he cannot start being more efficient then the Suns are going to continue to lose at an alarming rate.
SG Devin Booker (6.2 PPG) is averaging 12.7 PPG over the past three games and he is a guy that will have a big opportunity for the rest of the season. Booker is an excellent shooter from behind the arc (55.6% 3PT) and should thrive with more minutes.
Phoenix will also be counting on SF T.J. Warren (11.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG) to make up some of the offensive production that it is missing with Bledsoe out. Warren is averaging 17.0 PPG over the past two contests, but this matchup with Kevin Durant isn’t ideal for him.
The Thunder are rolling right now and a lot of that has to do with the play of PG Russell Westbrook (25.6 PPG, 9.3 APG, 6.9 RPG, 2.5 SPG). Westbrook is averaging 27.8 PPG over the past five contests and he is shooting 47.7% from the field in that span. He now gets to face a Suns team that has been giving up a ton of points and should be able to dominate.
SF Kevin Durant (26.6 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.3 BPG) should also have plenty of success against Phoenix on Thursday. He had 32 points and 11 rebounds the last time he faced the Suns and will be looking forward to his matchup.
One guy that could be the x-factor for Oklahoma City is C Enes Kanter (12.0 PPG, 8.2 RPG). Kanter is averaging 22.0 PPG and 8.0 RPG in the past two contests and has really found a groove offensively. Billy Donovan will likely give him some extra minutes as long as he is scoring the way he has been and Kanter should deliver on Thursday, as he had 21 points and seven boards in the last meeting between these teams.
