NBA
Phoenix Suns vs Brooklyn Nets Preview: Odds, Tips and Predictions
Kick Off Time: 7.30 pm, EST Venue: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York SportsBoom previews the NBA cross-conference match between the Phoenix Suns and the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on Wednesday, 22nd January 2025. With the season approaching its mid-point, excitement is building ahead of tipoff, and NBA betting fans are already diving into the odds and assessing both teams, hoping to find the best value. For a detailed, in-depth look at the match, be sure to check out our full preview and place your bets on top sites for NBA betting.
Devin Booker and Ziaire Williams//Getty Images
The Phoenix Suns will travel to Brooklyn to face the Brooklyn Nets in their second and final meeting of the season, looking to even the regular season series at 1-1 apiece. The Suns have fallen far from expectations placed on them at the beginning of the season, as they are outside the playoff contention in eleventh place on the Western Conference standings. The Suns' “Big 3 Era” has been one of the most disappointing in the NBA, with Booker, Durant and Beal failing to galvanize the franchise into NBA title contention.
On the other hand, the Brooklyn Nets are a rudderless franchise with no clear aim and are already trading some of their solid pieces to other franchises that are looking to improve their roster. The Nets have registered disappointing results and although they pulled some surprise results, the performances have been un-noteworthy. They are placed 12th in the Eastern Conference standings and their fate is pegged on lottery team selection.
Pre-Game Odds and Win Probability
Phoenix Suns: 4/6 (1.67) - 60%
Brooklyn Nets: 13/8 (2.625) - 38%
Forecast Odds – Betting available on Stake closer to event
Head-to-Head Record
The Brooklyn Nets and the Phoenix Suns have played 99 games in the regular season, with 48 victories for the Nets and 51 for the Suns. The two franchises have never met in the playoffs
Over a recent five-game stretch, the Suns have claimed three wins while the Nets have two.
Last Five Games
| Season | Date | Result |
| 2024/2025 | November 27th 2024 | Phoenix Suns 117-127 Brooklyn Nets |
| 2023/2024 | January 31st 2024 | Brooklyn Nets 120-136 Phoenix Suns |
| 2023/2024 | December 13th 2023 | Phoenix Suns 112-116 Brooklyn Nets |
| 2022/2023 | February 7th 2023 | Brooklyn Nets 112-116 Phoenix Suns |
| 2022/2023 | January 19th 2023 | Phoenix Suns 117-112 Brooklyn Nets |
HOW IS THE SEASON SO FAR FOR BOTH TEAMS?
Brooklyn Nets: Current Form – LLLWL
- Overall Record: 14-26
- Home Record: 5-12
- Away Record: 9-15
The Brooklyn Nets are at the bottom of the pile in the Eastern Conference standings, ranking at 12 out of 15. They have a long shot at vying for a play-in spot but on the current trajectory, they are destined to be a lottery team by the end of the season.
The Nets traded away their starting point guard Dennis Schröder to the Golden State Warriors, and key veterans, Shake Milton and F Dorian Finney-Smith to the Los Angeles Lakers. Before the looming trade deadline, some more pieces are expected to be on the move as they are gearing into a full rebuild.
Ben Simmons continues his fall from grace and seems to be on his last NBA contract, considering his deteriorating gameplay. D'Angelo Russell has taken over the starting point duties since arriving from the Lakers via trade. Cam Thomas, Cameron Johnson and Nic Claxton continue to be key offensive outlets for the Nets, with a solid rotation supporting cast following suit in spontaneous heat-check games once in a while.
However, as things stand, the Nets are not serious contenders for the playoffs and are simply lucky due to other teams continuing to perform dismally. In their last meeting, they shocked the Suns 127-117 at Footprint Center. The Nets have claimed only one win in their recent five games.
Jusuf Nurkic and Cameron Johnson//Getty Images
Key Players to Watch
- Cam Thomas: Cam Thomas has the ability to score the bucket and in bunches. The small forward can easily get on heat and scorch teams. He has been a reliable offensive outlet for the Nets for the last few seasons. However, he is racing to be fit to suit up for this matchup, with a niggling hamstring injury.
- Cameron Johnson: Cameron Johnson is finally showcasing his potential after arriving from the Phoenix Suns. An inside-out threat, the power forward has seen his scoring numbers surge upward, with Mikael Bridges now plying his trade for cross-city rivals the New York Knicks.
- D'Angelo Russell: After a less fruitful stint with the Lakers, D'Angelo Russell is back with the franchise that made him an All-Star. Russell had some remarkable games with the Los Angeles-based franchise but had a knack for disappearing when the lights shone brightest. He can finally play without expectations and get back to his best version of orchestrating plays and scoring.
Brooklyn Nets Team News
Cam Thomas, Nic Claxton and Trendon Watford are waiting to be evaluated if their hamstring injuries will be good to go.
Phoenix Suns: Current Form – WWWLW
- Overall Record: 20-20
- Home Record: 13-8
- Away Record: 7-12
The Phoenix Suns are underperforming after being tipped to be one of the favorites to take home the Larry O'Brien come July. The superstar core of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradly Beal has not dominated the league as expected. Phoenix is ranked 10th with an offensive rating of 113.7, but it’s their defensive vulnerabilities that have hindered their aspirations, as they are 22nd with a defensive rating of 115.2.
Injuries have been a thorn for Mike Budenholzer’s side and the lack of a defensive anchor continues to be a nuisance. The Suns are one of the teams rumored to be interested in Miami Heat’s elite two-way small forward, Jimmy Butler, and it's plain obvious why.
Kevin Durant has been the team’s best player and Devin Booker is starring as his sidekick. Bradley Beal has not lived to his Washington Wizards level but that was to be expected, considering he was linking up with two elite scorers and he is a ball-dominant player.
Tyus Jones has been brilliant as the starting point guard this season while Jusuf Nurkić, Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale continue to quietly perform their roles.
The Suns have lost games in which they were the favorites to win including this reverse fixture, and this has affected their position on the standings, where they are ranked 11th. Phoenix are one of the franchises expected to be active before the trade deadline elapses.
Key Players to Watch
- Kevin Durant: Kevin Durant has been putting All-NBA numbers in his 16th season in the league. Still one of the best players in the NBA, Durant is literarily un-guardable, with an offensive skillset that only few in the history of the game can match. Questions have been posed on his leadership capabilities but Kevin would rather let his hooping do the talking.
- Devin Booker: Devin Booker is a top-three shooting guard in the league. Booker is a marksman with a deep basketball skillset. After winning the Olympics with Team USA during the summer, Booker aims to capture the NBA title with the Suns.
- Bradley Beal: Bradley Beal is an elite scorer that can get instantly hot. Injuries have hampered his time with Phoenix, but when healthy Beal can be an X-factor. Beal is averaging 17.5 points per game and has shown tremendous improvement on the defensive side of the game.
Phoenix Suns Team News
Suns head coach, Mike Budenholzer, said before Sunday's 120-113 win over the Hornets, that Nurkic is dealing with the flu and isn't expected to travel with the team for the start of its five-game road trip that began on Tuesday in Atlanta.
Predicted Line-Ups
These lineups are subject to change before the matchup.
Brooklyn Nets Line-up
- Point Guard: D'Angelo Russell
- Shooting Guard: Cam Thomas (Pending evaluation)
- Small Forward: Cameron Johnson
- Power Forward: Noah Clowney
- Center: Nic Claxton (Pending evaluation)
Phoenix Suns Lineup
- Point Guard: Tyus Jones
- Shooting Guard: Devin Booker
- Small Forward: Bradley Beal
- Power Forward: Kevin Durant
- Center: Mason Plumlee
Suggested Bets
Phoenix Suns to Win: At the time of writing, the Suns are in better form, suggesting that they will be a threat to the Nets.
Under 230 total Points: The Nets have been averaging 106 points and the Suns 112 points, making this bet a possible outcome.
Phoenix Suns to Cover the Spread: The Suns will most likely carry the spread advantage in this game.
Value Bets
If all goes well and these players remain healthy between the time of writing and the matchup, you can consider these props:
Devin Booker – (Over 25 points + 3 assists): Booker has made at least 30 points in four straight games and has contributed at least four assists in each of these games.
Kevin Durant – (Over 25 Points + 5 Rebounds): Durant is a high scorer for the Suns hence achieving this prediction is not an uphill task.
D. Russell – (Over 12 points): Russell is expected to score points for his team as this has been his tradition in recent matchups. Hence, this predicted outcome is a high probability.
Prediction: Phoenix Suns to Win
The Suns have a talented roster that has proven instrumental in the team’s recent winning streaks. They have been dominant in their most recent matchups, rendering them a force to reckon with in this game. The Nets are not in their best shape as shown by their recent performances, which are majorly about losses, proving doubtful to win in this matchup. For those exploring online sports betting sites, the Suns are a team to watch.
Ian Mugo Wanyeki is based in Nairobi, Kenya. He is a sports enthusiast with vast knowledge of different sport disciplines. Ian is a graduate with a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Kenyatta University. He is a Kenyan journalist who’s worked as a sports analyst at Covenant Television Network, as a sports reporter at NTV and as a Sports Correspondent/contributor at Quartz Africa.
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