Phoenix Suns at Cleveland Cavaliers NBA Handicapping Preview

Phoenix Suns at Cleveland Cavaliers
Wednesday, 1/19/10, 7:00 PM EDT
Opening Point Spread: Phoenix -7
Current Betting Line: Phoenix -7.5
Opening Total: 213.5
Current Total: 213

The Phoenix Suns are starting to make some noise again and enter Wednesday's game as a heavy road favorite over Cleveland

Phoenix is starting to make some noise again and looks poised to take a shot at displacing Portland as the West’s No. 8 seed. The Suns were recently mired in a 4-12 stretch from December 7-January 11 that had many NBA experts questioning if the franchise should cut even more salary by trading away perennial All-Star Steve Nash. He has responded by scoring 23 points apiece in back-to-back home wins over New Jersey and Portland. “I am not sure we fixed anything,” Nash stated. “We are just competing more and not dropping our heads when things don’t do our way.” The team is three games under .500 entering tonight’s contest and compiled a 2-3 mark on the road versus Eastern Conference competition. Phoenix is 6-10 ATS as a favorite this season and currently laying points on the NBA lines page.

The Suns captured their third-straight victory last time out with a 129-121 road win over the Knicks Monday, which actually snapped a four-game road losing streak. Phoenix gained revenge from an earlier 121-96 home loss to New York just a couple weeks earlier. “I think we concentrated so much on Amar’e Stoudemire and we let everyone else open at our place,” coach Alvin Gentry commented. “Monday we decided to play it straight up. I thought we did a better job of throwing it inside and forcing them to switch.” The squad has won 17 of the last 23 meetings with the Cavaliers overall, including four of the last eight in Cleveland.

Cleveland has won four of its last five contests with Phoenix heading into tonight’s contest and hopes that success leads to just its second win in the last 25 contests. “It’s tough anytime you lose, but that is why we are professionals,” said guard Ramon Sessions. “You have to show up every day, continue to work hard and go out there and give it all you got.” One bright spot for the team this year has been its bench, ranking fifth in the NBA by averaging 36.8 points per game. Cleveland is 1-14 against the Western Conference this year, including a 1-4 mark at home. In those 15 games against non-conference opponents, the squad is 3-12 ATS.

The Cavaliers are coming off a horrendous road trip that saw the club drop all five games and surrender at least 10 3-pointers to each opponent. Cleveland’s defense allowed 116.8 points per game on the trip and it’s likely the team will continue to struggle defensively due to forward Anderson Varejao undergoing season-ending ankle surgery next week. Offensively, point guard Mo Williams is expected to miss tonight’s contest, which is important due to him averaging 27.3 points in Cleveland’s last four victories in the series.

Bettors may elect to back the Cavaliers due to their 14-6 ATS mark on three or more days rest, while the Suns are 4-9 ATS as a road favorite of 5.0 to 10.5 points.