The Phoenix Suns are still missing a contingent of players, but at least they’re starting to win some games. An overtime win against San Antonio on Saturday was their fifth in six games following a stretch where the Suns went 1-9 SU and 3-7 ATS to drop out of the postseason picture in the Western Conference. Getting Chris Paul back in the lineup was a relief while the Suns wait for leading scorer Devin Booker to heal. Phoenix has won and covered the last three meetings in the desert with the teams cashing the OVER in every game.
The matchup between the Hawks and Suns takes place on Wednesday, February 1, 2023 and will air live on ESPN with tip off at 10 p.m. ET from Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ. BookMaker.eu will have betting options for every game on the NBA schedule.
Atlanta Hawks vs Phoenix Suns Odds
Atlanta Hawks (Check Back Later)
Phoenix Suns (Check Back Later)
Total (Check Back Later)
Season to Date
This is an important stretch for the Hawks, who are in a play-in spot right now with several teams nipping at their heels. They enter a five-game road trip with a chance to make up ground in the East or worse lose ground. They’ve been a decent road team winning 46.2 percent of their away games while going 11-14-1 ATS. The Hawks came up empty in their lone home game in an eight-game stretch losing to the Clippers on Saturday. If they can keep up their recent road success they should be in good shape, but that’s a big if. They are 5-1 SU and 4-2 ATS in their last six road outings, but they haven’t won in Phoenix since 2019 dropping three in a row since.
The Suns are hoping the worst is behind them. They’re still without Booker, Landry Shamet and Cam Payne, but they recently got Paul, Deandre Ayton and Cameron Johnson back giving them something to work with. It’s paid off in the standings, too, with wins in five of six games following an overtime thriller against the Spurs. Prior to that run the club was sinking in the West losing 12 of 14 games to fall three games under .500. They lost their 18th game in the first contest of 2023 matching their entire total from last season. The hot streak has benefitted backers with the Suns going 5-1 ATS following their payout against the Spurs.
Atlanta Hawks
While the Hawks are a .500 team at 25-25 SU entering their road trip, they’ve been a good bet against the OVER. Trae Young directs an offense that ranks among the top-10 in scoring. He leads the club averaging 27.2 points and 9.9 assists with three others scoring more than 15 points per game. Breaking out in San Antonio last season, Dejounte Murray has been a key addition complementing Young in the backcourt. Murray averages more than 20 points while playing the most minutes on the club.
Stopping teams has been a season-long issue. The Hawks allow more than 116 points per game and have yielded 120 or more in five of their last six outings with the OVER going 6-1 in their last seven. Overall the Hawks have the fourth-best OVER rate in the Association at 58 percent. And the Hawks haven’t disappointed in their series with Phoenix cashing the OVER in six consecutive games.
Phoenix Suns
Getting Paul back in the lineup was a boost, but the return of Johnson has been even bigger. The club expected Paul to be his dominant self and he has been averaging 22.3 points and 10.8 assists in four games since returning. He was particularly effective against the Spurs going 12 of 20 for 31 points with 11 assists and seven rebounds. Johnson missed more than two months but appears to be rounding into form. He averaged 17.6 points in five games since getting back with the Suns going 4-1.
The loss of key players has given others a chance to step up. One player that’s taken advantage of increased playing time is Mikal Bridges. He got a recent four-game winning streak started by scoring 28 points with nine assists against Charlotte and dropped 24 a few nights later in a win over Memphis. Bridges scored 25 points on 10 of 18 shooting against the Spurs. They aren’t at full strength yet, but the Suns are getting closer and we’re seeing a version of the team that posted the best record in the NBA last season.
Hawks at Suns Predictions
Paul is playing like a guy 10 years younger and he’s getting plenty of assistance helping the Suns turn things around. Both teams have been inconsistent this season, but the Suns have an excuse with all their injuries. The Hawks are who they are and that’s a team hovering around .500. I’ll back the home team based on recent results.
Our Prediction: Phoenix Suns and OVER
