Phoenix Suns Game Today vs Boston Celtics Odds, Lineups, Prediction

The Phoenix Suns hit the road to close out 2021, ringing in the New Year with Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics. This contest also closes out the regular season series between these two teams, granting the Suns a chance to sweep Boston for the first time since the 2013-14 season.

Phoenix staved off a gritty effort by the Oklahoma City Thunder in their previous game. But when looking at Boston, even with all their pitfalls considered, they still carry a far more talented roster than OKC, certain to give the shorthanded Suns even more trouble.

Phoenix Suns vs Boston Celtics Odds, Moneyline, Over/Under

According to WynnBET, Phoenix enters this game favored at a -4.0 point spread. Their moneyline odds are at -170, and the over/under sits at 214.5 points.

With the Suns missing so many players, one might expect them to go into this game as the underdogs. But Boston also just lost Jayson Tatum, who stands responsible for nearly a quarter of Boston’s offensive output this year.

All those missing pieces make the over/under notably low, and at the end of the day, Phoenix still holds onto Chris Paul and Devin Booker for this game, which equals enough to give them that four point advantage.

Phoenix Suns vs Boston Celtics Lineups

JaVale McGee heading into league and safety protocols and forcing Jalen Smith into his second career start represents the “big news” coming into this game. With Jae Crowder also out, Phoenix’s frontcourt is a bit shaky for this game, but their backcourt should look familiar.

• PG: Chris Paul
• SG: Devin Booker
• SF: Mikal Bridges
• PF: Cameron Johnson
• C: Jalen Smith

Without Tatum, Boston needs to scrap together a new starting five as well. They do get Marcus Smart back though, making their lineup a bit more recognizable than the one from their last game.

• PG: Marcus Smart
• SG: Jaylen Brown
• SF: Romeo Langford
• PF: Al Horford
• C: Robert Williams III

Phoenix Suns vs Boston Celtics Prediction

The last two games for Phoenix cannot leave you too confident entering this game. The Memphis Grizzlies handled them easily up until that game’s final few minutes. The Oklahoma City Thunder also threw the Suns a good punch, sticking with them until halfway through the final period.

But now without McGee, Phoenix finds themselves even more so in the dog house. Boston is no shining example of consistency either though, having lost their last three games.

With so many important players missing, forcing teams to likely feature players just signed off the street, this game is shaping up to be an absolute mess. Under such circumstances though, CP3 feels like a life preserver to hold onto as a veteran who always gives you a chance to win. He pushes the Suns to a narrow victory, failing to cover the spread, but securing the win.

Final: Phoenix Suns 94, Boston Celtics 91

Phoenix Suns Next Up

Phoenix keeps their East road trip going against the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday evening. The last time these two teams played, it turned into an absolute bloodbath, where the Suns blew out Charlotte 137-106. They hit a season-high 20 3-pointers, shooting a crisp 48.8 percent while doing so.

Defense has been a bugaboo for the Hornets all year, and even with the Suns possibly still missing some players, they carry a solid chance to stick with LaMelo Ball and company as long as they stay aggressive on offense.