The Phoenix Suns play host to the Indiana Pacers tonight in hopes of extending their winning streak to five on the season.
However, a tough matchup against Dallas last night makes the conclusion for their back-to-back not exactly a walk in the park.
The Pacers arrive to Mortgage Matchup Center extremely banged up and are just 1-10 on the season, positioning the Suns as heavy favorites.
But what about prop bets?
Four of the best we could find for tonight:
Pascal Siakam 2+ Steals
Griffin Wong, DraftKings: “The only beneficiary of Indiana’s myriad injuries is Siakam: without Haliburton, Turner, Obi Toppin, and Bennedict Mathurin, he’s posted the highest usage rate and the third-most minutes of his career. He’s also averaging the second-most steals of his career, and the Pacers still need him on the floor at all times. With him on the court, Indiana has been outscored by 7.1 points per 100 possessions, but without him, it has been blitzed to the tune of a negative-20.4 net rating, which would be by far the worst mark in league history. In part because of the playing time, he’s recorded two or more steals four times in 10 games this season (+150 implied odds), and he ranks 42nd in deflections.
“He has a friendly matchup tonight against a Suns team that has been quite sloppy with the ball. This season, Phoenix has conceded the fifth-most steals per game, and individually, Booker leads the league in turnovers among players who have played in eight or more games. While that could benefit Andrew Nembhard or Ben Sheppard more, given that they matched up directly against Booker more frequently last season, it’s not like Booker has the ball the entire game. The Suns throw an above-average number of passes, and with his seven-foot-three wingspan and roving defensive style, Siakam is good at impacting passing lanes.”
Pacers Team Total Over 114.5 Points
Sean Little, Action Network: “The Pacers have been among the worst offensive teams in the NBA recently too, but they enter this game with a significant rest advantage. They’re not on a back-to-back, while Phoenix is, and that could lead to tired legs on the defensive end for the Suns.
“Despite the perception that Phoenix’s defense has improved, the numbers tell a different story. Over the past few weeks, they’ve given up 118 points to San Antonio, 118 to Golden State, 133 to Denver, and 129 earlier in the season to the Clippers.
“This defense is getting more credit than it deserves, largely because no one wants to back a beat up, rudderless Pacers squad. Still, this is a favorable spot to do so. The Suns rank 26th in the league in turnover percentage, meaning they are susceptible to turning the ball over.
“Indiana continues to play fast — still top 10 in pace despite all the absences — and should find enough opportunities to exploit a fatigued Phoenix defense. This is a solid buy-low spot for the Pacers offense against a team coming off a back-to-back and feeling confident after a soft stretch of wins.”
Devin Booker Under 1.5 Threes Made
Quinn Allen, Covers.com: “With Kevin Durant gone, this is fully Devin Booker’s team again, and he’s thriving. The Phoenix Suns guard is averaging 28.2 points, 7.0 assists, and 4.2 rebounds while shooting 37.9% from 3-point land. Booker has been efficient at times from long range, but most of his scoring lately has happened inside.
“The veteran has cashed the Under in triples made in three straight appearances, posting a goose egg from beyond the arc in each of those games. In fact, he’s only cashed the Over in two of his six November outings.
“In fairness, Book is taking fewer treys this month, averaging only 3.7 attempts and 1.0 makes. He’s opting to get to the cup, which is another reason I see value in the Under here.”
Grayson Allen Over 3.5 Threes Made
Peter Dewey, SI: “Phoenix Suns shooting guard Grayson Allen is off to a great start this season, averaging 19.0 points per game while shooting 44.6 percent from beyond the arc.
“This is a tough matchup for Allen as a 3-point sniper, as the Indiana Pacers rank fifth in the NBA in opponent 3-point percentage and eighth in opponent 3s made per game. Still, I like Allen because of his sheer volume from beyond the arc on a night-to-night basis.
“Allen is taking a career-high 9.3 3-pointers per game, and he’s made at least four shots from deep in six games in a row and eight of his 12 games overall. The veteran guard has at least six 3-point attempts in every game and nine or more shots from deep in nine of his 12 games.
“Even against a stingy 3-point defense, I think Allen is worth a bet to stay hot from 3 on Thursday.”
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