Phoenix Suns vs. New York Knicks Prediction, Preview, and Odds

It’s an interconference matchup on the hardwood as a pair of teams on the right side of the playoff cut line take the floor in the Big Apple. The Phoenix Suns are on the road as they make the cross-country trip to take on the New York Knicks Sunday evening. Phoenix rolled to a 110-89 road win over Memphis in their previous contest, covering the line as a 3.5-point favorite, Friday night. New York rallied to edge Miami 100-98 at home Friday night in their previous game, failing to cover the line as a 5.5-point favorite. In the all-time regular season series between the teams, the Suns own a 71-65 advantage though the Knicks took a 102-83 home win in the most recent matchup on January 2, 2023.

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Phoenix Suns Shooting for Seventh Straight Win

Phoenix rang up a sixth straight win as they rolled past Memphis in their previous contest Friday night on the road. The Suns improved to 10-6 on the season and moved into the top spot for the Pacific Division by a half-game over the Kings. Against Memphis, Phoenix led by two after the opening quarter and used a 14-0 run over the final 4:17 of the first half to take a 13-point lead at the half. The Suns were up eight after three quarters and didn’t let the Grizzlies closer than six in the final stanza as they pulled away. Phoenix shot 51.3% from the floor, including 11 of 31 from three-point range, and won the rebounding battle 41-35. Devin Booker led the Suns with 40 points, five boards, four assists and four steals in the game.

The Suns enter this contest 7 in the league in scoring offense as they average 117.2 points per game on the year. Phoenix stands 19 in rebounding with an average of 43.8 boards per contest while they are 11 by dishing out an average of 26.4 assists per contest. The Suns are 16 in the league in scoring defense as they allow an average of 113.3 points per game this season. Devin Booker is second on the team with 29.6 points plus 8.6 assists per game this season. Kevin Durant (31.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, 5.5 assists), Bradley Beal (17.3 points), Eric Gordon (14.3 points) and Grayson Allen (11.9 points, 4.8 rebounds) are good offensive weapons. Jusuf Nurkic (10.6 points, nine rebounds, 3.9 assists), Josh Okogie, Keita Bates-Diop, Jordan Goodwin, Drew Eubanks, Yuta Watanabe and Nassir Little are solid contributors in the rotation. Phoenix is 9 in field goal percentage by shooting 47.9% from the floor as a team on the year. The Suns are 12 as they knock down an average of 12.9 three-pointers a night while the team is 3 as they splash 39.1% of their attempts from beyond the arc this season.

Damion Lee (knee) was injured during training camp and remains without a timetable for return as he works his way back. Beal (back) last played on November 12 and has played just three games: he is expected to be out until mid-December at best. Durant (foot) missed the game Friday while Watanabe (quad) has missed the last three: both are considered questionable for this contest so watch for updates.

New York Knicks Looking to Prevail at Home

New York won for the fourth time in their last five games as they rallied to down the Heat in their previous contest. The Knicks improved to 9-6 on the season and stand third in the Atlantic Division, 2.5 games behind the Celtics for the top spot. Against Miami, New York led 10-1 early only to trail by three after the opening quarter. The Knicks were up one at the half only to give up the first 19 points of the second half to trail 69-51 with 7:33 to play in the third quarter. New York trailed by 21 with 3:40 to play in the third quarter before rallying. The Knicks chipped away and were still down nine with 3:50 to play before outscoring the Heat 13-2 the rest of the way to earn the win. New York shot 48.1% from the field, including 10 of 29 from three-point range, and held Miami to 39.1% shooting to offset turning the ball over 18 times. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 24 points in the loss.

For the year, the Knicks are 27 in the league in scoring offense with 109.5 points per contest entering this game. New York is 2 in the league in rebounding as they collect 47.3 rebounds per game while they are 28 in the league in assists by dishing out 22.9 dimes per contest. The Knicks are 2 in the league in scoring defense by allowing 105.3 points per contest. RJ Barrett is second on the Knicks in the early going as he averages 20.5 points per game this season. Jalen Brunson (24.2 points, 4.9 assists), Immanuel Quickley (15.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists) and Julius Randle (19.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists) each are averaging in double figures. Quentin Grimes, Donte DiVincenzo, Isaiah Hartenstein, Mitchell Robinson and Josh Hart are key contributors for coach Tom Thibodeau. New York is 28 in the league in field goal percentage as they shoot 43.9% from the floor as a team. The Knicks are 9 in the league in threes per game as they knock down 13.4 triples a night while they are 8 in three-point shooting by hitting 36.9% of their attempts from beyond the arc.

The Knicks have no injuries to report, so they should have their full complement of players here.

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Phoenix has been rolling along with six straight wins though injuries are starting to pile up a bit. Beal has played only three games, Booker has logged eight and Durant missed the game Friday night. He’s questionable here but he would be seriously missed if he doesn’t take the floor. New York showed a ton of grit with their come from behind win over the Heat Friday night though that may have taken a toll on the team. The Knicks have played quality basketball this season but they have had issues shooting the ball, ranking third-worst in the league in field goal percentage. Look for the Suns to find a way to earn the win as Booker leads the way here.

Prediction: Phoenix Suns +3.5

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Phoenix enters the game having gone over the number in 11 of their first 16 games this season. The Suns commit the sixth-most turnovers per game in the league with 15.4 per contest. Phoenix is below average in terms of tempo by ranking 25th in pace with 97.3 possessions a night. New York enters this game having stayed under the total in nine of their first 15 games this season. The Knicks entered Sunday 6th in the league in turnovers with 13.3 per contest while they stood 29th in tempo by averaging 96 possessions a night. With both teams playing at a slow pace and the Suns banged up, look for this game to wind up falling short of the total.

Prediction: Under 219.5

Chris King has been immersed in the world of professional and collegiate sports for more than three decades. Whether it's playing pickup games or being involved in organized sports to being a fan, he's checked all the boxes. From the NFL to arena football, the NHL to the KHL, the NBA to the WNBA to college hoops, and even MLB to the KBO.  If it's out there, he's covered it and bet on it as well, as Chris has been an expert bettor in his career.  Before joining Winners and Whiners back in 2015, his work appeared around the internet and in print. He's written books for Ruckus Books about college basketball, the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, golf, and the World Cup. If you're looking for the inside track on hitting a winner, do yourself a favor and read what Chris has to say.