Tiger Woods Masters odds are definitely big enough to throw a shadow over the entire sports betting world, but there will be a big matchup in the NBA on Friday night as red-hot Phoenix heads to Oklahoma City to face the Thunder, who have had trouble closing out games lately.
Suns vs Thunder odds – Friday, April 9, 8:00 PM ET
The Suns have won nine of their last 10 after a 112-101 win over San Antonio at home on Wednesday, and Amare Stoudamire continue his stellar play with 29 points and eight boards, while Steve Nash added 18 points and 12 assists for the Suns, who shot 50.6% from the field, and they forced 18 turnovers out of the Spurs. The Suns are on fire lately, and they've been sparked by Stoudamire, but their defense has even been good, or at least, good for Phoenix. The Suns have allowed 102.4 points in their last five games, which is 3.4 points below their season average, and if the Suns can mix it a little defense with their high-octane offense, they may be the sportsbetting darkhorse to ride in the playoffs.
The Thunder lost a heartbreaker in Utah on Tuesday by a score of 141-139 in overtime, but what's worse is that it came on a non-call that should have been a foul. Then on Wednesday, they let a 13-point lead slip away in the fourth quarter of a 98-94 loss to Denver at home, despite 33 points and 11 rebounds from Kevin Durant. The Thunder are in eighth place in the West right now after the Denver loss, but they're still tied with Portland and San Antonio, and they can leapfrog them with a big win over the Suns.
NBA odds should favor the Thunder at home, but they've struggled badly against the Suns, losing nine of their last 10 meetings with Phoenix. The two have split a pair of meetings so far this season, with the road team winning each time, and online betting players should definitely look at the totals as the two have averaged 218 points in their two games. The Thunder have let their defensive guard down a bit as of late, but their best play in the Denver game came off their pressure, and they need to be diligent against the Suns, who will carve them up if they're on. All eyes will be on Durant, who has averaged 37.0 points and 7.0 boards, and Stoudamire, who has countered with 32.5 points and 11.0 rebounds, but the point-guard battle should decide the game. Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook needs to pressure Phoenix's Steve Nash as the two-time MVP has had some back problems lately, and Westbrook is a good enough defender to keep Nash quiet.
NBA betting pick: Oklahoma City
