The Golden State Warriors (37-45, 10th in West) take on the Phoenix Suns (45-37, 7th in West) in the NBA Play-in Tournament. The winning team will secure a spot in the playoffs, while the loser goes home.
The Warriors had an impressive comeback against the Los Angeles Clippers, where they erased a five-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter, thanks to 35 points from Stephen Curry.
Meanwhile, the Suns surprisingly lost at home to the Portland Trail Blazers, where Deni Avdija torched them for 41 points and 12 assists.
Keep reading on to find out why I believe the Suns have the slight edge over the Warriors in this NBA Play-in Tournament matchup.
Warriors vs Suns Odds
All NBA odds used for these Warriors vs Suns best bets are current as of Thursday, April 16, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Moneyline: Warriors (+124) vs Suns (-148)
- Spread: Warriors +3.5 (-115) vs Suns -3.5 (-105)
- Over/Under: Over 219.5 (-112) / Under 219.5 (-108)
Warriors vs Suns Prediction
Warriors vs Suns Score Prediction: Suns 110, Warriors 103
The Warriors are riding high off a road win over the Clippers, while the Suns will look to bounce back from a loss against the Trail Blazers.
Despite the impressive comeback victory, I’m not convinced by the Warriors. They needed Curry to drop 35 points while shooting 52 percent from the field to pull that off.
Meanwhile, the Suns had a close loss to the Blazers because Avdija had a career night. If he performed more to season-long norms, Phoenix likely would’ve won that game.
In other words, two outlier performances brought these teams to this matchup. Look for the Suns to get back on track, with Dillon Brooks causing problems on the perimeter for Curry in this one.
Warriors vs Suns Best Bets
Suns -3.5 (-105) vs Warriors
Even though the Warriors have dominated the season series against the Suns, winning three of four meetings, along with a one-point loss, I’m riding with the home team here.
Phoenix went 25-16 at home this season. With both Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks in the lineup, I like backing them at a short price against the Warriors.
I think people are overreacting a bit to Curry’s huge game in the win over the Clippers. It’s likely to be much tougher to do that while guarded by Brooks on the perimeter.
Ride with the Suns as one of your best NBA bets today.
Warriors: Under 109.5 Points (-128) @ Suns
I like taking the Warriors under 109.5 points because the Suns have a good defense, ranking 11th in the league in Defensive Rating.
This feels like a high bar at 109.5 points, especially since the game total is at 219.5 and the Warriors are 3.5-point underdogs.
I don’t mind laying the -128 juice on this team total prop.
If the Suns win as I project, it’s likely because they were able to slow down Curry with Brooks on the perimeter. That would make it more likely that the Warriors stay under 109.5 points.
