Trail Blazers vs Suns Odds & Picks: Phoenix Hopes To Avoid 3rd Straight Loss

After winning 19 of 20 games to open up a comfortable lead in the West, Phoenix (49-12 SU, 33-28 ATS) has dropped its last two. The Suns have the perfect opportunity to get back on track tonight when they host the Trail Blazers (25-36, 25-36), who have lost their last two games by a combined 69 points.

Trail Blazers vs Suns Odds & Analysis

Sportsbook Odds 

Oddsmakers don’t seem concerned about Phoenix’s recent struggles without Chris Paul, Sportsbook the Suns as 12.5-point favorites in this matchup. Phoenix hasn’t been favored by more than a dozen points over Portland since 2007.

Get the best Trail Blazers vs Suns odds and lines available from our recommended sportsbooks for your favorite picks of the night.

Without Nurkic, Trail Blazers Have Been Blown Out Twice Since The Break

Portland entered the all-star break on a 4-0 SU and ATS run, but the Blazers weren’t able to regain that form when the season resumed. Portland is 0-2 SU and ATS since the break, losing home games to Golden State and Denver by a combined margin of 69 points, although head coach Chauncey Billups told reporters he was happy with how hard his team played in Sunday’s 124-92 loss to the Nuggets.

With Damian Lillard still sidelined and CJ McCollum now in New Orleans, the Blazers may simply be overmatched these days — especially after losing center Jusuf Nurkic for four weeks with a foot injury.

Nurkic had averaged 27.5 points and 12 rebounds during Portland’s 4-0 spurt before the break, but replacement Drew Eubanks has recorded just 15 points and 15 boards in the two games since.

Defensive Letdowns Cost Suns in Consecutive Losses Last Weekend

Life without Paul has predictably been more difficult for the Suns, who have lost two straight to fall to 1-2 SU and ATS since losing their all-world point guard to a fractured thumb. What might be surprising, however, is that Phoenix’s offense doesn’t seem to be the Suns’ biggest issue at the moment.

Led by Devin Booker, Phoenix is averaging 113.3 points per game since Paul went down, nearly matching its season average of 113.6 points. However, the defense has struggled recently, allowing an average of 117.5 points in the weekend losses to New Orleans and Utah. In the Suns’ last four games, they’ve given up at least 117 points in three of them.

Phoenix has a history of tightening things up defensively when it has extra time to prepare, making the UNDER a Trail Blazers vs Suns prediction you might want to consider tonight. The UNDER is 12-3-1 in Phoenix’s last 16 games when playing on two days’ rest, and it’s gone 9-2-1 when the Suns are coming off a SU loss.

Trail Blazers vs Suns Pick & Insights

Trail Blazers: Keys To Cover

Portland is 2-0 ATS this season as an underdog of 12 points or more, and 7-1 ATS in its last eight when catching at least a dozen points. The Blazers have also won and covered seven of their last 11 on the road, which could give them some under-the-radar value in any Trail Blazers vs Suns prediction.

Suns: Keys To Cover

Phoenix had won 19 of 20 before losing its last two games, so don’t expect any panic from the league-leading Suns. If Phoenix brings some more intensity at the defensive end, it shouldn’t have difficulty pulling away from a Blazers squad that has averaged just 93.5 points in its last two games.

Odds Shark’s Computer Trail Blazers vs Suns Prediction: Suns -13

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