Phoenix Suns vs Golden State Warriors Prediction: The Warriors are vulnerable away from home but can bounce back

The NBA Regular Season is a gift that keeps giving. There are a lot of games that have been unpredictable and some teams that were expected to be on the low side have risen to the occasion unexpectedly. The Golden State Warriors have been on the opposite end of the spectrum, not producing the desired results. In this game, the Warriors are going to take on the Phoenix Suns. 

Phoenix Suns

The Phoenix Suns come into this game after losing to the Heat 112:113 despite a 25 points performance by Devin Booker. The Suns have won eight out of their 13 games but currently are on a two-game losing streak. The Suns have been struggling on the road, having lost two out of their six games. Their next five out of the six games including this one will be at home so they can recover their winnings most probably. The team balance has been affected without Cameron Johnson and in large parts due to the absence of Chris Paul who is grappling with an injury.

The Suns have done a great job of establishing a strong two-way team but they haven;t closed out games well. While Chris Paul’s scoring is down, his presence as a floor general is what originally lifted the Suns and made them a contender. Mikal Bridges is one of the best defenders but his offense is a bit inconsistent. Deandre Ayton is effective in both low and high posts but his defense has been a tad inconsistent. Torrey Craig provides hustle as the starting Forward but in the long run, the team will need Paul and Cameron Johnson to be active.

Golden State Warriors

The Warriors come into this game after defeating the Spurs 132:95 as Jordan Poole had a breakout 36 points outing. The Warriors have been amazing at home, but they are on a seven-game losing streak away from home, because of which they have just eight losses and six wins. The Warriors’ defense just doesn’t look the same and they have one of the worst benches in the league. Their bench has the worst plus/minus and the void created by the absence of Otto Porter Jr and Nemanja Bjelica has been huge.

Stephen Curry is having another impressive season which is not a surprise by any stretch. Andrew Wiggins has been a major contributor while Draymond Green continues to be the defensive enforcer. Despite major inconsistencies, Klay Thompson has made key buckets at times while playing strong defense. Jordan Poole before his 36 points was struggling both in terms of shooting and taking care of the ball and perhaps a bench role doesn’t suit his talent anymore. His recovery to form is going to determine a lot of progress for the Warriors but they really need to starting winning on the road.

Injuries

• Suns: OUT: Cameron Johnson. QUESTIONABLE: Chris Paul, Landry Shamet;
• Warriors: OUT: Andre Iguodala.

Player Props

• Expected Leading Scorers: Stephen Curry(30+ Points), Devin Booker(27-34 Points);
• Expected Leading Rebounders: Deandre Ayton(8-12 Rebounds), Draymond Green(6-9 Rebounds);
• Expected Leading Playmakers: Chris Paul(10-13 Assists), Draymond Green(8-11 Assists), Devin Booker(6-9 Assists).

Expert Betting Tips

The Suns have been doing a great job of establishing control on both ends of the floor and with Devin Booker at the helm of the offense, mostly they will produce winning results. The Warriors have lost way too many games thus far and despite Steph Curry bursting out for big nights, things have looked awful for them. There are times when the Suns also lose their way but they know how to correct the course.

In this game, the key for the Suns will be fending off Curry and if Poole even plays at the 80% level of last game, they will have their trouble controlling the strong Warriors’ offense. I believe this will be a high-scoring game with the Warriors finally breaking their funk away from home. The Total Points Range can be 229-239 and I see a scoreline of 118:114 in the favor of the Warriors