The Phoenix Suns hit the hardwood tonight facing off against the Miami Heat for the first time this season. Even with Miami missing a few stars, they still eerily resemble Phoenix at their core as an Eastern Conference counterpart and deserve considerable attention as another title-contending team.
Handling the rock, both the Suns and Heat carry veteran, savvy point guards in Chris Paul and Kyle Lowry. Along the wing, each team has a cold-blooded, three level scorer in Devin Booker and Jimmy Butler. Also down low, Bam Adebayo and Deandre Ayton mirror each other as athletic big men with high ceilings.
Rounding it all out, both teams possess several talented young stars including Cameron Johnson, Tyler Herro, Mikal Bridges, and Duncan Robinson. Well respected coaches Monty Williams and Erik Spoelstra sit at each team’s helm as well.
Almost like a rivalry between twin brothers, this game feels a bit more exciting than most other regular season matchups as it opens up a two-game regular season series.
Phoenix Suns vs Miami Heat Odds, Moneyline, Over/Under
According to WynnBET, the Suns are listed as -8.0 point favorites. Their moneyline odds are at -400 and the game’s over/under currently sits at 217.0 points.
If the Heat were whole, this game’s spread is likely closer to even, but with a whopping 11 players currently mentioned on their injury report, it makes sense for the Suns to enter this game as easy favorites.
At the same time, Phoenix also gets back Deandre Ayton, JaVale McGee, and Jae Crowder tonight. The game being played on their home floor also checks off another box. All signs point to a Phoenix win tonight, and Vegas clearly understands that.
Phoenix Suns vs Miami Heat Lineups
Even though Ayton, McGee, and Crowder all exited health and safety protocols before Phoenix’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers two nights ago, they did not suit up with Monty Williams wanting to give them all some ramp-up time. But tonight, they finally get to dust off their jerseys.
- PG: Chris Paul
- SG: Devin Booker
- SF: Mikal Bridges
- PF: Jae Crowder
- C: Deandre Ayton
Suns fans should recognize Kyle Lowry and P.J. Tucker tonight, but aside from them, Miami’s projected starting five will feature some less familiar faces.
- PG: Kyle Lowry
- SG: Max Strus
- SF: Caleb Martin
- PF: P.J. Tucker
- C: Ömer Yurtseven
Phoenix Suns vs Miami Heat Prediction
The Suns look like probable victors tonight for several reasons, but ultimately, it all comes back to Miami’s depleted roster and how difficult it will be for them to overcome that in the face of a full-strength Phoenix team.
Especially with what they have now, the Heat also resemble a team that lives and dies by the 3-pointer. During their previous game against the Portland Trail Blazers, they really let it fly without their normal scorers on the floor, taking 41 shots from beyond the arc, well above their season average of 36.0 attempts per game.
In doing that though, the Heat play into Phoenix’s greatest strength on defense. For the season, Phoenix has their opponents shooting just 32.5 percent from three, the second lowest mark in the entire league.
With Miami’s one weapon being something which the Suns know how to easily neutralize, they win this game and cover their spread.
Final: Phoenix Suns 109, Miami Heat 92
Phoenix Suns Up Next
The Suns keep it going against Eastern Conference teams following this game, going abroad to clash with the Toronto Raptors.
Despite a slow start to the season, the Raptors find themselves doing quite well having won their last five games. In building that streak, they did take impressive wins on paper against the Milwaukee Bucks and Utah Jazz, but Giannis Antetonkoumpo, Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, and Mike Conley all sat out during those games, so take that as you will.
However, this upcoming contest does offer the Suns their first look at talented rookie Scottie Barnes. Likely to challenge for the Rookie of the Year award, he currently averages 14.9 points, 3.5 assists, and 8.1 rebounds per game.