Can Anyone Slow Down the Nuggets? It’s Phoenix’s Turn to Try
Suns vs Nuggets Lines: Phoenix Among NBA's Worst at 29-41-2 ATS
Denver-Phoenix was supposed to be a Western Conference Finals preview. Instead, injuries have decimated one of the NBA’s top teams, leaving the Suns needing a strong finish just to qualify for the postseason play-in tournament.
The Suns will look to improve their stock when they visit the Nuggets on Wednesday for a 10 p.m. ET tip. Denver opened as a 7-point favorite and -285 on the moneyline, with Phoenix priced +230 to win outright. Meanwhile, the projected total is 225.
What can bettors expect? Read on as we break down both teams and assess the Suns vs Nuggets lines in our NBA game preview.
Phoenix Suns at Denver Nuggets 
Date, time:
Location: Ball Arena; Denver
Betting Trends
The Phoenix Suns are 29-41-2 ATS, including 15-9-1 away from home. Phoenix’s games have trended toward the Under, as the Suns are 32-40 against the Over/Under. Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets are 33-37-2 ATS, including 18-16-1 at home. As for the Over/Under, Denver is 30-41-1.
Be sure to remember these betting trends when assessing the Suns vs Nuggets lines.
Suns Underachieving in Packed West
The Suns had their three-game winning streak snapped Monday when they lost 104-102 to the Spurs. A 12-point underdog, San Antonio had lost three straight and six of its last seven games and was without rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama.
With that loss, Phoenix dropped to 42-30 and eighth place in the Western Conference, a half-game behind sixth-place Sacramento. The top six teams are guaranteed postseason spots, so Phoenix will need to finish strong to avoid the play-in tournament.
For what it’s worth, the Suns are listed by oddsmakers as -550 to make the play-in. Meanwhile, their NBA betting odds of winning the West have dropped to +1000, leaving them behind the Nuggets, Clippers and Thunder.
Because of its surprising struggles, Phoenix owns one of the worst records ATS at 29-41-2. Its 41.4% cover rate is better than only Charlotte (38.0) and Atlanta (35.2). That includes 7-11 ATS as an underdog. Keep that in mind when analyzing the Suns vs Nuggets lines.
Phoenix ranks 10th in scoring (117.1 PPG) and fourth in efficiency, shooting 49.6%. However, its middle-of-the-road defensive and inability to stay healthy remain concerns. Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal have combined to miss 50 games this season, with Beal accounting for more than half of those absences.
Durant is Phoenix’s top scorer, averaging 27.6 points on 52.8% shooting, including 41.8% from 3.
Nuggets Back on Top
The Nuggets, winners of four straight and 15 of their last 17 games, now own the West’s best record at 51-21. They are coming off a 128-103 victory over Memphis on Monday in which they covered as 12.5-point favorites.
Oddsmakers are bullish on the Nuggets, pricing them +150 favorites to win the West and +325 to defend their NBA title. Only the Celtics, who are a league-best 57-15, have shorter championship odds (+215).
Whether the Nuggets can cash in on those odds will largely depend on Nikola Jokic. The Serbian center is an overwhelming -1000 favorite to win his third NBA MVP. Averaging 26.1 points, 12.3 rebounds and 9.0 assists, he has 22 triple-doubles this season, three behind league-leader Domantas Sabonis.
As a team, Denver ranks 14th in scoring (114.8 PPG) and tied for fourth in field goal percentage (49.6%). The Nuggets have beaten teams by an average of 4.8 points, the fourth-highest total in the league.
Handicapping the Game
This is the last of three regular-season games between Phoenix and Denver this season. The Suns won 119-111 on Dec. 1 while the Nuggets returned the favor 117-107 in overtime on March 5.
Denver is 47-15 as a favorite and 29-6 at home, where it holds a significant advantage because of the thin air of Ball Arena.
The Suns have covered in four of their last six games despite a 29-41-2 record ATS, but they must continue to monitor the health of center Jusuf Nurkic on top of other woes. Questionable with an ankle injury, Nurkic is averaging 11.3 points and 11.0 rebounds.
His absence could prove costly against one of the NBA scoring leaders in Jokic.
Suns vs Nuggets Lines
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