by
• Phoenix Suns vs. Houston Rockets
• Friday, February 23 at 10 p.m. ET
• Toyota Center in Houston, Texas
While there’s been a ton of discussion about the Nuggets, Clippers and Timberwolves in the NBA Western Conference, don’t forget that Kevin Durant and the Suns are looking like the real deal too. This team has the tools to make a major splash in the postseason and they’ll look to make a statement now that the second half of the season is here. This week, the Phoenix Suns are favored over the Rockets for a Friday showdown. Will they come out on top?
That’s the hope, as Phoenix has looked sharp this year and the same can’t be said for the Rockets. As of this writing, Houston is 24-30 on the year and on the outside looking in for the playoffs. There’s a ton of young talent for the Rockets on their roster, but they just haven’t been able to put everything together this season. Fans have been disappointed with their poor level of play thus far. We don’t expect them to put things together for the Suns.
| Phoenix vs Houston odds |  |  |  |
| Suns to win | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Rockets to win | +125 | +125 | +125 |
| Over 220 points | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Under 220 points | -110 | -110 | -110 |
Phoenix is 33-22 on the year and in fifth place in the Western Conference standings. Durant is one of the best players in the league, as he’s lethal with the ball in his hands. He’s able to knock down shots from all over the hardwood. It also helps him that Devin Booker is playing so strong for this team. He’s great with the ball in his hands and his passing abilities are tough to match. Durant and Booker playing together is a lot of fun to watch.
According to the best-rated sportsbooks, which includes the reliable Bovada review, the Suns hold -110 NBA betting odds to post a win against the Rockets. Houston is the home team, but they hold +125 NBA betting odds for this matchup. From our chair, the Suns should have no issues taking down the Rockets even though they’re going to be the visitors. With that said, we’re surely going with the Suns as our pick to record a win.
DEVIN BOOKER ☄️
Your @Kia NBA Western Conference Player of the Month! pic.twitter.com/v3tsJxwnXi
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) February 1, 2024
Phoenix’s NBA Finals odds continue to rise
In some great news for the Suns, Phoenix’s NBA Finals odds continue to rise. This shouldn’t be a stunner, as Durant is playing so well and Phoenix keeps on winning games. The only thing that’s been a bummer for this squad is that so many people are focused on Denver potentially repeating as the champions. Last spring, Denver shocked so many people by winning the NBA Finals. Nikola Jokic has been even better this year too.
It’s not only Denver, though, as in the Eastern Conference the Boston Celtics have been playing near-perfect basketball. The Celtics have the best record in the NBA and they hold the top NBA Finals betting odds for this season. Jayson Tatum thinks he’s the best player in the league. We disagree with that, but he sure is in the Top 5. Having said that, Phoenix is hoping to turn heads once the postseason gets here, with Durant sure to face a ton of pressure. He wants to forget last year too.
"We got to play more of a team game & I might not be able to get those big numbers & I had to be cool with that early on… That's the beauty of playing on great teams… it's bigger than you."
Kevin Durant on never scoring 60+ points.
(via @boardroom)pic.twitter.com/GesEysfLjE
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 20, 2024
“It sucked. It was a bad feeling. It was embarrassing,” Durant said after the Suns were eliminated from the postseason last year in stunning fashion. “They came out and hit us in the mouth and we couldn’t recover. You gotta give them credit for being a disciplined team.”
Durant is now motivated to try and bounce back and win his first NBA Finals title since his playing days with the Golden State Warriors. That’s going to be a tall task, but with so much talent on both ends of the floor for the Suns, you can’t rule this team out. Per the oddsmakers, the Suns hold +1400 odds to capture the glory this year. It will be interesting to see how things go for them, but again, it won’t be a total shocker if they come out on top and bring home the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
The Suns are basically a lock to make the playoffs
One thing that has given Phoenix fans a ton of confidence is that the Suns are basically a lock to make the playoffs. As things stand, Phoenix holds -600 odds to make the postseason. With Durant, Booker and Co. playing so strong, they can’t lose focus on the second half of the campaign. There was plenty of buzz for this team during the first half of the year and now the hope is things can get better now that the All-Star Game has come and gone. Will things go that way?
With the end of the regular season around the corner, the Suns need to stay sharp and not lose sight of things. A game against the Rockets could be considered a ‘trap contest’ but something tells us this team will take care of business. Then once the playoffs get here, the Suns are going to be a ton of fun to watch, there’s no doubt about that. We can’t wait to see them in action in May and hopefully early June.
