The undermanned Phoenix Suns were a 12-point underdog but beat the NBA’s best home team just as Stephen Curry, the reigning NBA Finals MVP, returned. Now, the Suns get no rest and take on the two-time MVP in Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. Like Tuesday night, the Suns will be similar-sized underdogs on the NBA odds. Pulling off one big upset is one thing. But another?
Let’s check the latest NBA odds, stats, injury report and NBA lines for Suns vs Nuggets. We’ve plenty of NBA betting odds for you to consider.
The New Suns
The Suns were without seven of their key players, including the All-Star backcourt of Chris Paul (hip) and Devin Booker (groin). But that didn’t matter as their replacements all stepped up. The likes of Duane Washington Jr. and Damion Lee scored 20+ points to carry Phoenix to an improbable win. It was their first victory in seven games.
They have to do it again as they head to the Mile High City with no rest. Phoenix has had success here, having covered five straight times. Of course, most of that came with a healthy roster.
Phoenix is also just 2-3 when on the second night of a back-to-back this season. And the heroic performances from their role players may not be sustainable as the Suns could have caught Golden State off guard. Still, a 13–point spread offers plenty of leeway for betting online.
No Stopping Nuggets’ Jokic
Phoenix’s biggest task may be to slow down Jokic. Good luck with that. The back-to-back MVP could be the first player to win three straight since Larry Bird. He is having another dominant season. And against the Suns, Jokic averages prolific numbers: 20.5 points, 10.6 boards and 6.3 rebounds with a .565/.404/.872 shooting line.
Is Nikola Jokić making the case for a third straight MVP? 🤔🃏
(via NBA Today) pic.twitter.com/tcxIMC8IxV
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) January 10, 2023
Jokic is 16-6 against the Suns in his career. However, he’ll have to do more to get them to cover this lofty spread. Denver is 10-7-1 against the spread (ATS) as a favorite at Ball Arena. The team’s defense improves sharply at home.
Denver’s 109.1 defensive rating (ninth among home teams) improves from 118.3 on the road. The altitude may help against visiting players not used to it. It’s partly why 12 of the Nuggets’ 20 home games have gone under the total on the sportsbook.
Suns vs Nuggets Game Injuries
Suns vs Nuggets Head-to-Head
The Suns are 6-4 in their last 10 games against Denver. The total has gone over in seven of these meetings. However, the Nuggets have won 10 straight at home while the Suns are 1-4 in their last five road games.
- Game: Suns (21-21) vs Nuggets (27-13)
- Day/Time: Wednesday, Jan. 11, 10:10 p.m. ET
- Location: Ball Arena, Denver
- Suns vs Nuggets Live Stream: NBA Game Pass
Suns vs Nuggets Betting Lines
Suns vs Nuggets Picks & Prediction
The lines are too wide to be confident in Denver. This could be a blowout but the threat of garbage time is real. The Nuggets have a -0.6 net rating in the fourth quarter partly because they tire or because they rest their starters with a lead. Instead, the under should be a solid bet here. The Suns, potentially tired, could struggle to score.
The Denver Nuggets are listed at -850 in our Vegas NBA lines. This means that if you wager $100 on the Nuggets, you have a chance to win $12. The Phoenix Suns are +570, offering a chance to win $570 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives the Nuggets an 89.47% chance to win, with the Suns at 14.93%.
Suns vs Nuggets Trends
Suns vs Nuggets Edge
Suns vs Nuggets Results
Suns vs Nuggets Game Summary
Suns vs Nuggets Previous Game (Dec. 25, 2022)
Denver is on the board as a four-point favorite in the sportsbook and that’s looking like the right side here. The Nuggets are firing on all cylinders and getting healthier.
Meanwhile, Phoenix has its own issues to deal with outside of the basketball court on top of Booker and company missing a few games with separate injuries.
