The Phoenix Suns host the Brooklyn Nets in a high-profile showdown on Tuesday. The Phoenix is 40-9, claiming the NBA's best record, and the Suns are 21-5 at home. Brooklyn is 17-7 on the road and 29-20 on aggregate this season. Deandre Ayton (ankle), Jay Crowder (wrist), Cameron Payne (wrist) and Landry Schmett (ankle) are out for Phoenix. Kevin Durant (knee), LaMarcus Aldridge (ankle), Joe Harris (ankle) and Paul Milsap (individual) are out for Brooklyn, with James Harden (arm) cleared to play against the Suns.
Caesars Sportsbook lists Phoenix as the favorite six-point home run for this 10 o'clock. ET tipoff. The latest Nets vs. Sons odds are 228.5, considering Vegas will score the total number of points, or over-under. Before choosing any Sun vs Nets, be sure to check out NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer models.
The SportsLine projection model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has generated more than $10,000 in profits over its top-rated NBA picks over the past three-plus seasons. The model enters Week 16 of the 2021-22 NBA season on an astonishing 62-32 roll on all top-rated NBA picks, returning more than $2,500. Anyone who has followed this has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set her sights on Nets vs. Suns, and has simply locked in her picks and NBA predictions. You can now head over to Sportsline to see the model picks. Here are several NBA betting lines and Suns vs. Nets trends:
- Nets vs Sun Spread: Suns-6
- Nets vs Sun Over-Under: 228.5 points
- Net vs Sun Money Line: Sun -260, Net +210
- BKN: Nets are 14-10 against spread in street games
- PHX: The Suns are 12-14 against the spread in home games
Why cover the net
The nets have tremendous shooting profiles on either side of the floor. Brooklyn ranks seventh in the NBA in offensive efficiency based on effective shooting. 3 in the NBA in field-goal percentage, shot making 47.1 percent, and Brooklyn leads the entire league in free-throw accuracy at 82.2 percent. On the opposite side, opponents are shooting just 44.2 percent from the field and 32.8 percent from the 3-point range, finishing in the top four in both categories.
The Nets also do a tremendous job at generating assists on offense (25.4 per game) and preventing assists on defense (23.2 per game), and Brooklyn excels at transitions, averaging 13.2 fast break points per competition. The Nets should also benefit from Phoenix's limited shortcomings, as the Suns are No. 26 in blocked shots and No. 25 in free-throw attempts on offense.
why the sun can cover
The Sun is excellent on both sides of the floor, but Phoenix's offense is dynamic in its own right. The Sons rank third in the NBA in offensive efficiency, scoring about 1.13 points per possession this season. Phoenix leads the NBA in field-goal percentage, with 47.7 percent of shots taken, and the Suns are in the top seven of the league in 3-point shooting (36.7 percent) and free-throw shooting (79.4 percent).
The Sons share the ball beautifully, averaging 26.4 assists per game, and the Phoenix takes care of the ball with only 13.3 turnovers per competition. This leads to the number 3 points in the NBA in assist-to-turnover rate (1.99), top eight points in assist percentage (62.0 percent) and points in paint (47.9 per game). From there, Brooklyn's defense has a few weaknesses, including net landings in the bottom five in building turnover and stealing per game. Brooklyn is also No. 20 in free-throw attempts in the NBA, and Phoenix is well-schooled at taking advantage of opponents' shortcomings.