Free NBA Pick: Thunder vs. Suns NBA Odds
Looking for Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Phoenix Suns free NBA picks & NBA odds? NBA betting sees the Thunder taking on the Suns on Thursday, December 23rd, 2021 at the Footprint Center. Cappers Picks provides complimentary expert handicapping picks on all NBA basketball matchups so stay tuned for more FREE daily NBA hoops predictions like this Thunder Suns matchup.
2021 NBA Handicapping
(11-19) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Phoenix Suns (25-5)
Date: Thursday, December 23rd
Time: 9:00 PM EST
Venue: Footprint Center, Phoenix, Arizona
NBA Moneyline Odds: Thunder +900 | Suns -1111 (Bet Now!)
NBA Betting Odds: Suns -15
NBA Betting Total: 215
Thursday, December 23rd, finds the Oklahoma City Thunder playing the Phoenix Suns for the first time this season. The teams will play three more times this season with another match in Phoenix on December 29th and two in OKC on February 24th and April 3rd.
The Thunder are playing a back-to-back set having shocked the Nuggets beating them 108-94 on Wednesday while the Suns last played Tuesday in a 108-90 winning effort versus the Lakers.
Last season, the squads played three times with the Suns winning two of the three contests. The Suns hold the all-time record having bested the Thunder in 130 of their 245 matches.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Since the embarrassing loss to the Grizzlies on December 2nd the youngsters on the Thunder have taken things personally and if you take them for granted they’ll make you pay.
Case in point, the Thunder are 5-3 since that 73 point beat down in Memphis and other than the Pistons the wins came against middle to high tier teams like the Raptors (they’ve lost only twice in seven games), Clippers, Nuggets and oh yeah those same Grizzlies.
They could just as easily be 6-2 if not for Devonte Graham’s 61 foot 3-point buzzer-beating heart breaker.
Yet that shot arguably was a microcosm of this young team who know they will always be the underdog, that the franchise’s preference is to tank and each of them are essentially auditioning for the future core.
The problem is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander doesn’t like to lose and his play through this eight game stretch has been All-Star worthy.
He didn’t play in that infamous December 2nd match but in the last eight games is averaging 23.2 points, 4.25 rebounds, 6.75 assists, and getting 7.2 free throws per match.
Despite hitting timely 3-pointers that’s the one area where he’s struggled (10 of 41 – 24.3%). It didn’t matter however that he went 0-7 versus Denver because he posted a triple-double of 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists.
All five Thunder starters scored in double-figures and Darius Bazley who was recently demoted to the bench registered a 17 point, 11 rebound double-double.
While teams are ravaged by COVID and injury the Thunder are completely healthy although head coach often will rest either Derrick Favors or Mike Muscala in back-to-back sets.
Phoenix Suns
With the Lakers losing Anthony Davis the Suns got a bit of a break on Tuesday but frankly they looked like the far better team in defeating LA handily.
Devin Booker looked closer to his pre-injury self collecting 24 points, nine rebounds and seven assists while Chris Paul offered 11 points and nine assists.
Deandre Ayton (19 points, 11 rebounds) and JaVale McGee (10 points, 10 rebounds) both produced double-doubles. Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson each scored 14 points and Cameron Payne chipped in 10 points as the other double-figure scorers.
The Suns rank eighth offensively (110.3), second defensively (102.9), and third in net differential (plus +7.5). Only five teams rank in the top 10 for the big three categories — the Suns, Warriors, Jazz, Heat and Bucks and of those only the Warriors rank in the top five of all three.
Abdel Nader (knee) is out while Frank Kaminsky (knee), and Dario Saric (knee) are out indefinitely.
NBA Betting Trends:
- The Thunder are 7-3 in the last 10 head to head
- The Thunder are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 meetings
- Over Under is 6-4 in the teams last 10 head to head matchups
Free Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Phoenix Suns NBA Prediction:
During the four game win streak for Phoenix they’re beating opponents by an 18 point margin whereas OKC’s margin is six but bolstered by the 14 point differential of the Nuggets contest since the other two games were won by a cumulative four points.
Chris Paul returns to OKC where he revitalized his career and knows SGA, Bazley and Dort very well. Although I expect the Suns to win, I think Gilgeous-Alexander will want to put on a show for his mentor and therefore keep the game close.
4* Free NBA Betting Pick: Thunder +15
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