After beating the Portland Trail Blazers by 30 points without Devin Booker and Chris Paul on Wednesday, the Phoenix Suns will now look to earn a shorthanded victory over the New York Knicks at the Footprint Center.
Will Phoenix win back-to-back games when it hosts a struggling New York squad? Keep reading our Knicks vs. Suns NBA picks and predictions for Friday, March 4 to find out.
Knicks vs Suns odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
Despite the fact that the team is missing some serious firepower, the Suns are still favored by 7 in Friday night’s meeting with the Knicks. Meanwhile, the total has been set at 225, which is the highest number the Knicks have had on a game all season.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until tip-off and be sure to check out the full NBA odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Knicks vs Suns predictions
Predictions made on 3/3/2022 at 11:15 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Knicks vs Suns game info
• Location: Footprint Center, Phoenix, AX
• Date: Friday, March 4, 2022
• Tip-off: 10:00 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN
Knicks vs Suns betting preview
Key injuries
Knicks: Quentin Grimes G (Out), Derrick Rose G (Out), Kemba Walker G (Out), Solomon Hill F (Out).
Suns: Devin Booker G (Out), Chris Paul G (Out), Frank Kaminsky C (Out), Dario Saric F (Out).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Knicks are 1-10 against the spread in their last 11 games. Find more NBA betting trends for Knicks vs. Suns.
Knicks vs Suns picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Spread analysis
The Suns had lost two games in a row before completely turning things around and beating up on the Blazers last game. Sure, Portland isn’t a very good basketball team right now, but Phoenix was locked in on the defensive end and the ball was zipping around the court on offense. The Suns really executed at a high level on both ends of the floor, showing that they can stay true to their system without their superstars on the floor. With that being the case, it’s hard to imagine New York winning this game on the road.
The Knicks roster isn’t all that different than it was a year ago, but this team just seems disconnected at this point in the season. New York is just 25th in the league in offensive rating this year, and the team is also only 17th in defensive rating. That second number is the one that is rather telling, as Tom Thibodeau’s teams just aren’t going to win a lot of games if they aren’t elite on the defensive end.
Considering New York’s struggles on defense, Phoenix should be able to get open looks quite often in this game. And guys like Cameron Johnson, Mikal Bridges and Jae Crowder are likely going to hit shots with that extra space. Meanwhile, Deandre Ayton should be able to make his presence felt on the defensive end, which would mean that things will be clogged up for Julius Randle around the basket. Also, Bridges, Johnson and Crowder will likely split time guarding R.J. Barrett, and the three should be able to make this a rough night for him.
Overall, this is a game that the Knicks would have been expected to win before their regression, but it’s hard to trust New York in tonight's matchup right now.
Prediction: Suns -7 (-110)
Over/Under analysis
The Over is 5-0 in New York’s last five games and it’s also 7-1 in the team’s last eight. Over that eight-game span, the Knicks have allowed 119.9 points per game, and they now face a Suns team that is full of players that can make shots and make the right plays. That means that Phoenix should be able to put up a decent number of points in this game, and New York is capable of doing a decent job on offense as well.
The Over has actually hit in three straight meetings between these two teams, and it’s also 4-1 in the last five that they’ve played. The Over is also 17-10 in the games that Phoenix has played against Atlantic Division opponents since head coach Monty Williams came aboard. It’s also 12-4 under Williams when the Suns are coming off a cover as a double-digit favorite.
Prediction: Over 225 (-110)
Best bet
The Suns are 6-2 straight-up and 5-3 against the spread when facing teams with winning percentages between 40.0% and 49.0% this year. They’re also 8-1 straight-up and 7-2 against the spread against teams that are averaging only 108.0 or fewer points per game in the second half of this season. Phoenix is also just 25-5 straight-up when facing teams with losing records this season, which just shows you that this group doesn’t tend to take nights off.
Look for this to be a game in which Bridges and Johnson really steal the show. Both players are capable of being true difference-makers in this one. Johnson is averaging 21.5 points, 4.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game over the last two games, so he’ll happily take on a bigger role here. Meanwhile, Bridges will show out on the defensive end regardless, but he has the mid-range game to create shots for himself on offense too.
Pick: Suns -7 (-110)
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