Hornets vs. Suns prediction and odds for Tuesday, January 24 (Phoenix is back)
By Josh Yourish
Slowly, but surely, the Phoenix Suns are starting to get healthy. On Sunday, Chris Paul and Cameron Johnson both came back in a 112-110 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. That win has the Suns at 24-24 with Devin Booker still to return. Don’t look now, but Phoenix might be ready to make noise in the western conference. They’ve won three in a row and could make it four and get over .500 against one of the very worst teams in the NBA, the Charlotte Hornets. Charlotte had won two in a row, but cut it out and got back to tanking with a 120-102 loss to Utah yesterday.
Let’s get into the odds for the Suns and Hornets in Phoenix tonight.
Hornets vs. Suns odds, spread and total
Hornets vs. Suns prediction and pick
While the team won’t have Deandre Ayton in this one as he recovers from a non-COVID illness, the Suns have Bismack Biyombo to fill in at center and Saric to eat minutes at the five off the bench. That’s more than serviceable, especially against Charlotte who has little to no threats in the front court.
The front court depth will be tested, but the return of the likes of Chris Paul and Cameron Johnson is more important.
In each of their returns, Paul had 22 points, 11 assists, and six rebounds, and Johnson had eight points in 29 minutes. Even though Johnson wasn’t spectacular, he gives the Suns so much more depth on the wing.
It’s obviously a small sample with Paul back, but I think that everything is slowly starting to fall back into place for last season’s one seed in the West. I think they’re going to start ripping off wins and catching the 13-35 Hornets on the second night of a back-to-back doesn’t hurt. The Suns might not even break a sweat.
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change