2024-25 Phoenix Suns Predictions, Odds and Betting Preview: Suns Soar Under Budenholzer

Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal return to the Valley for another season, and I conducted an in-depth analysis to find NBA picks in the Phoenix Suns' futures odds.

Last season was all about the splashy moves, trading for Bradley Beal to form a big three everyone had high hopes for. This season, however, is focused on depth pieces and a shift in their offensive style, thanks to Mike Budenholzer.

With Phoenix featuring some of my favorite futures bets for the upcoming season, let's take a closer look at the Phoenix Suns odds for the 2024-2025 season.

2024-25 Phoenix Suns odds and outlook

All odds courtesy of DraftKings, as of 10-16.

Phoenix Suns projected lineup

Phoenix Suns season win total prediction

I bet on the Phoneix Suns to win the NBA Finals at +3,500 on DraftKings and to have the best record by the All-Star Break at +7,000. Both bets are still available, and while they’ve adjusted to +3,000 and +5,500, I'd still bet on both. 

Specifically — regarding the 46.5 win total at FanDuel — this is a great price relative to the rest of the market. Only BetRivers also has this total at 46.5, but the Over has increased juice at -130. All other sportsbooks have the Suns trading at 47.5 with similar juice to FanDuel’s Over 46.5, so you're getting the same juice here for one less win. 

The projection for Phoenix's win total is just over 51 wins, so you can see we have a massive edge on the 46.5. This advantage extends to all of its props, showing an edge on alternate totals as well. 

Prediction: Over 46.5 (-110 at FanDuel)

Suns playoff prediction

I absolutely believe the Suns will make the playoffs, and I think they're one of the most underrated teams in the market. Last season, Phoenix was trading at +600 to win the NBA Finals before the season began, and while the roster was top-heavy, it had several flaws. 

The Suns addressed those issues in the offseason with multiple excellent moves by the front office. They needed a point guard so Devin Booker and Bradley Beal could play off the ball and stole Tyus Jones on a minimum contract. The signing of Monte Morris also bolsters the PG position.

Backup center minutes were also an issue with Drew Eubanks, and the Suns addressed it by bringing in Mason Plumlee. 

Phoenix may have also hit a home run with Ryan Dunn. The Suns were missing an elite defender, and that's exactly what Dunn is — but the knock on him was his long-range shooting ability. 

Well, someone in the organization clearly fixed his jump shot over the summer because Dunn has already made more 3-pointers in the NBA preseason than he did in his two seasons at Virginia. The athletic Dunn, who is a huge 'stocks' player (steals and blocks), is looking like a deadly 3-and-D player, and this is why I think the Suns have a massive ceiling. 

Prediction: Yes (-235 at DraftKings)

Devin Booker prediction

Another big offseason move was the firing of Frank Vogel and the hiring of Mike Budenholzer as head coach. One thing about Bud is he’s going to force your team to take a ton of 3-pointers — it's his style, and it's exactly the type of basketball that wins games in the NBA.

Last season, Booker found himself trying to run the point and playing on the ball a lot, as the Suns didn’t have a true PG on their roster. With Jones now in the starting lineup to set the table for the offense, this should provide Booker with more catch-and-shoot opportunities, especially in a Budenholzer offense where he’ll be encouraged to take as many threes as possible.

In 2021-2022, with Chris Paul running the point in Phoenix, Booker averaged 3.0 catch-and-shoot 3-pointers per game. That dropped to 2.1 last season. This gives you a glimpse into how his volume could increase playing alongside Jones, and we all saw how deadly Booker was as a spot-up shooter in the Olympics.

In a Budenholzer offense with Jones running the point, I think the +650 price point for Booker to average 3+ threes made per game is worth a look. He hasn’t hit that mark yet in his career but has come close, averaging 2.7 twice.

Prediction: 3+ threes made per game (+650 at DraftKings)

Suns awards futures prediction

If you're looking to bet on an awards market for the Suns, Budenholzer to win NBA Coach of the Year at +2,000 is definitely worth considering.

To win Coach of the Year, you need to have one of the top teams in the NBA and exceed expectations, and Budenholzer is perfectly positioned to do both. I've already mentioned how I believe Phoenix has a massive ceiling, so if Bud leads the team to 55 wins and the top seed in the Western Conference, that creates a strong narrative — especially given the set win total of 46.5.

Take a look at someone like Tom Thibodeau at the top of the oddsboard. The New York Knicks’ win total is 54.5. Sure, the Knicks could be the top seed in the Eastern Conference, but it's extremely difficult for a coach to exceed expectations when the bar is already set so high.

What you also have to love about Budenholzer is he’ll get credit for the Suns' turnaround, as he’s completely revamping their offense by pushing them to shoot more 3-pointers.

Last season, Phoenix ranked 25th in 3-point attempts at 32.6 per game. When Budenholzer took over the Milwaukee Bucks, they jumped from 25th in 3-point attempts (24.5) to second (38.2) in his first season.

Budenholzer will have his fingerprints all over the Suns' transformation, just as he did with the Bucks, and he won Coach of the Year in his first season with them.

Prediction: Mike Budenholzer to win Coach of the Year (+2,000 at DrafKings)

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