The Phoenix Suns welcome Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers to the Valley tonight, set to battle their Western Conference foes for the second time this season. During Phoenix’s first contest against Rip City, they lost by a wide margin, making tonight a fantastic opportunity to throw a tenacious returning punch.
Phoenix Suns vs Portland Trail Blazers Odds , Spread, Over/Under Tonight
According to WynnBet, the Suns enter this bout favorited at -6.0 points. Their moneyline odds sit at -230, and the over/under is currently at 224.5 points.
With the better record and being the home team, these favorable odds make sense for the Suns. Additionally, the Blazers are completing a “back to back” sequence with this game, as they partook in a fun and competitive matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers last night. The Suns enjoyed a day off yesterday, likely inflating their odds also as the more rested team.
Phoenix Suns vs Portland Trail Blazers Lineups
Missing his third consecutive game now, starting center Deandre Ayton will not suit up for the Suns tonight, as he continues to labour through a right leg contusion. With exception to him, Phoenix’s starting five should look familiar.
- PG: Chris Paul
- SG: Devin Booker
- SF: Mikal Bridges
- PF: Jae Crowder
- C: JaVale McGee
Having rolled with the same staters for about two weeks, and without any major injuries, the Trail Blazers will also keep their lineup card unchanged.
- PG: Damian Lillard
- SG: CJ McCollum
- SF: Normal Powell
- PF: Robert Covington
- C: Jusuf Nurkic
Phoenix Suns vs Portland Trail Blazers Game Prediction
Defense around the perimeter for the Suns will decide this contest. Almost nobody defends the triple worse than the Suns right now, and the Trail Blazers get 40.3 percent of their scoring with that shot.
The Blazers also know about this weakness for the Suns. During their game two weeks ago, Portland hoisted up 50 attempts from deep, knocking down 21. They absolutely blitzed Phoenix’s defense, and made the game a blowout early on.
That makes the Suns incredibly vulnerable against Rip City tonight. Even with the Blazers playing their second game in as many days, they embody the exact kind of team built to take down the Suns, allowing them to narrowly pull off an upset.
Final: Phoenix Suns 108, Portland Trail Blazers 116
Phoenix Suns Next Up:
After this contest, the Suns take a day off, and then travel down to Memphis to face Ja Morant and the Grizzlies. Right now, the Grizzlies find themselves off to modest start, fueled by their young and hungry roster.
They own a 6-4 record, having already defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Denver Nuggets twice. They also remain the only team yet to beat the Golden State Warriors, having defeated them in overtime roughly two weeks ago.
However, the Grizz also lost to the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Washington Wizards, and the Trail Blazers. They represent another intriguing opponent the Suns could either lose to, or swallow up entirely.