Spurs vs. Suns NBA expert prediction, odds, key players for Oct. 31 (Trust Phoenix)
By Peter Dewey
The Phoenix Suns are fresh off of a blowout win over the Utah Jazz as they prepare to face the San Antonio Spurs in primetime on Halloween.
The Spurs and No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama are 1-2 so far this season, and they struggled mightily in their matchup on Sunday with the Los Angeles Clippers, losing 123-83.
Things may be a little easier for the Spurs against the Suns since Bradley Beal (out) and Devin Booker (doubtful) may both miss this game. The Suns had Grayson Allen (17 points) and Eric Gordon (21 points) pick up the slack for those two stars in their last game.
Phoenix enters this matchup as a 7.5-point favorite, slightly shorter than the Clippers were in their game against the Spurs (9-point favorites).
Let’s dive into the odds for this matchup and how to bet on it:
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Spurs vs. Suns odds, spread and total
Spurs vs. Suns how to watch
- Date: Tuesday, Oct. 31
- Game Time: 10:00 p.m. EST
- Venue: Footprint Center
- How to Watch (TV): TNT
- San Antonio Spurs Record: 1-2
- Phoenix Suns Record: 2-1
Spurs vs. Suns injury reports
San Antonio Spurs injury report
- No injuries to report
Phoenix Suns injury report
- Damion Lee – out
- Bradley Beal – out
- Devin Booker – doubtful
Spurs vs. Suns key players to watch
San Antonio Spurs
Victor Wembanyama: The No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Wembanyama has gone through some growing pains in his first few games, averaging 15.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per night.
This should be an interesting matchup for him against Jusuf Nurkic and Drew Eubanks, who may not have the foot speed to defend him on the perimeter. It also would be cool to see Wemby’s length against Durant at some point in this game.
Phoenix Suns
Kevin Durant: No Booker and Beal? No problem. Durant is averaging 27.7 points per game this season, scoring 39 and 26 in his last two outings without both of his co-stars. I expect Durant to feast against a Spurs team that was dismantled by the Clippers over the weekend.
Jordan Goodwin: Acquired in the Beal trade, Goodwin has stepped up with Booker and Beal both sidelined early on this season. The young guard is averaging 9.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in just 23.0 minutes per game. He should see an extended role again tonight with Beal already ruled out.
Spurs vs. Suns prediction and pick
Early on in this season, I can’t trust the Spurs to cover this spread given their offensive struggles.
San Antonio ranks 27th in the NBA in offensive rating, and the team has an issue with playing a big starting lineup where it can struggle to stretch the floor at times. The Spurs are 23rd in the league in 3-point percentage and 20th in 3-pointers made per game.
The Suns are just 16th in 3s made per game, but they have a lot of shooters (Allen, Gordon, Josh Okogie, Yuta Wantanabe) that could make the Spurs pay from deep even with Booker and Beal out.
Durant has also taken his game to the next level in these two matchups with Booker joining Beal on the shelf, and I don’t think there is a great matchup for the Spurs on him. Jeremy Sochan will likely get the first crack at it, but stopping Durant is going to be a team effort.
After watching San Antonio lose by 40 in its last game, I feel comfortable laying the points with the Suns at home.
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Find Peter Dewey’s NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.