Nuggets vs Suns Pick, Preview & Betting Odds For Friday, March 31st

Check out our free Nuggets vs Suns pick and preview for this NBA game in Phoenix. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this NBA matchup.

Nuggets vs Suns NBA Pick & Preview

Sport: NBA
Teams: Denver Nuggets at Phoenix Suns
Where: Phoenix at Footprint Center
Date: Friday, March 31st
Betting Odds PHO -8.5, DEN +297 | PHO -367 O/U OFF

The Nuggets come into today’s matchup with an overall record of 51-25. So far, the team has gone 40-35-1 against the spread. Across the team’s previous 3 games, they have gone 2-1 straight-up and 1-2 vs the spread.

In their previous game, the Nuggets were favored to win vs the Pelicans. However, their 107-88 loss, gave them both a straight up and ATS loss. In the defeat, Denver did not outscore the Pelicans in a single quarter. Leading the team in scoring was Jamal Murray, as he contributed 21 points while hitting 40.0% of his shots.

The Suns come into today’s matchup with an overall record of 41-35. So far, the team has gone 40-34-2 against the spread. Against the Nuggets, the Suns are looking to add to their current 3 game winning streak. The average margin of victory across these matchups is 13.67.

In their previous game, the Suns took down the Timberwolves by a score of 107-100. Not only did they come away with a straight up win, but they also covered the spread as 6 point favorites. Phoenix went on to win the game, despite trailing by 3 going into halftime. Leading the team in scoring was Devin Booker, as he contributed 29 points while hitting 44.4% of his shots.

Head To Head Recap & Stats

In the most recent game between the two teams, the Nuggets picked up a 128-125 win over the Suns. However, heading into the game, Denver was favored to win by 4.0 points, giving the Suns and ATS victory. So far this season, the Nuggets have a record of 2-0 vs the Suns. Similar to their season-long average, the Nuggets averaged 112.33 points per game vs the Suns. On the other side, Phoenix saw an improvement in their scoring numbers when playing the Nuggets, as they averaged 121.33 points per game in these matchups. When looking at how these teams have performed against the spread in recent matchups, the Suns hold the edge at 3-2. However, the average scoring margin in these matchups has been tight, sitting at just -1 points per game. Over the course of these games, they averaged 235 points per game, leading a 3-2 over-under record.

Odds & Free Betting Analysis For This NBA Game

For the season, the Denver offense is the 9th ranked unit in the NBA, at 116.4 points per contest. So far, the Nuggets are averaging 97.8 possessions per game, which places them below the NBA average. Even though they have preferred to slow the game down, the Denver offense is the 23rd ranked team in made field goals per game.

Defensively, Denver has had its problems giving up an average of 110.41 points per game (14th).

Denver will be relying on Jamal Murray to provide a strong scoring performance in today’s game against the Phoenix. Nikola Jokic has been ruled out. So far this season, Jokic has been the team’s leading scorer with an average of 24.9 points per game. Murray is 2nd on the team with 20.2 points per game, which places him 55.0th in the NBA. In 62 games, he has hit 45.3% of his field goal attempts and is averaging 4.0 rebounds per game.

Through 76 games, the Suns are averaging 113.6 points per contest, placing them 17th in the NBA. So far, the Suns are averaging 97.9 possessions per game, which places them below the NBA average. A key aspect of the team’s offensive struggles is the fact that they not only play at a slow pace, but they struggle to score inside. Heading into today’s game, Phoenix is just 16th in shots made inside the arc.

So far, the Suns have played well defensively, as they are ranked 9th in the league at 107.33 points per contest.

Shooting Guard Devin Booker currently leads the Suns at 28.2 points per game. For the season, he is 13th in the NBA in usage rate and has taken 22.6% of the team’s field goal attempts. In addition to his scoring, Booker is averaging 4.6 boards and 5.4 assists per contest. In today’s game, he is facing off against the NBA’s 5th ranked defense at defending shooting guards. Kevin Durant enters the game sitting second on the team in scoring. Through 43 games, he is averaging 29.2 and is 11th in the league in player efficiency rating.