Suns vs. Hornets Odds, Picks, Predictions: Will Phoenix Win in Kevin Durant’s Debut?

Though the Charlotte Hornets have been hot recently, a key injury could make them ripe for the picking as Kevin Durant is expected to make his Phoenix Suns debut on Wednesday night. Read on for our best Suns vs. Hornets NBA picks based on the best NBA odds.

The Suns (33-29) are expected to see trade-deadline acquisition Kevin Durant debut with the team on Wednesday night as Phoenix heads to Charlotte to take on the Hornets (20-43).

Although Charlotte enters the game with five straight wins in tow, the team suffered a brutal blow to its starting lineup in Monday’s win over the Detroit Pistons. Without LaMelo Ball out for the foreseeable future, Wednesday could be a perfect storm of momentum for the visiting team.

Here is our best Suns vs. Hornets NBA pick (odds via BetMGM; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Suns vs. Hornets pick

Suns -9.5 (-115 via BetMGM) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

On the year, Charlotte is a struggling franchise vying for a lottery pick. Of late, the Hornets have actually picked up the pace a bit, however, scratching across five straight wins heading into Wednesday.

The problem is, the Hornets lost LaMelo Ball to an ankle injury in their last game, further depleting a downtrodden roster that is entrenched near the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Without Ball, I expect the team that has played to the NBA’s third-worst ATS record at home this season (12-17) to flounder against the Suns in Kevin Durant’s team debut.

Although Phoenix is merely 15-15-1 ATS on the road this season, their recent road play indicates the ability to handle this matchup against one of the league’s lesser teams. The Suns have played seven road games dating back to Jan. 28, essentially a month ago. In those seven contests, Phoenix has emerged with a win by double figures four times.

Though we should expect a minutes restriction for Durant in his Phoenix debut, the Suns are the superior team without him. With KD in the fold, I like the Suns to find an extra gear on Wednesday, energized by the renewal of genuine championship aspirations in the desert.

Suns vs. Hornets best odds

BetMGM (-115)

The Suns are -10 everywhere besides BetMGM, which still lists Phoenix at the opening line of -9.5. You’re paying a slight premium to -115 odds for that number, but we consider it a worthwhile price to buy the half-point.

FanDuel, Caesars, and PointsBet are all fine options for bettors who prefer to avoid buying past the standard -110 odds. Suns’ backers should avoid DraftKings at current values, as those odds are -115 for a less favorable line. The recommendation on this play reduces to three stars at -11.

Suns vs. Hornets odds

Suns vs. Hornets odds analysis

The Suns opened as 9.5-point favorites and have moved to -10 at all but one of our recommended sportsbooks. At the time of this writing, 53% of point-spread wagers have sided with Phoenix.

The total opened at 229.5 and has dipped to between 228.5 and 229 across our affiliated sportsbooks. The Over has attracted 53% of wagers on the total.

Suns vs. Hornets game info

• Date: Wednesday, March 1, 2023, 7 p.m. ET
• TV: Bally Sports
• Location: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC

Suns-Hornets pick made 03/01/2023 at 12:50 p.m. ET.

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