Suns vs Nets Odds, Picks, and Predictions Tonight: Durant Must Dig Deep in Return to Brooklyn

NBA players are large, they contain multitudes. We should not assume there is some sort of animosity between the Phoenix Suns and the Brooklyn Nets just because of last season’s Kevin Durant trade.

The two players traded for Durant — Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson — may not be on a contending team anymore, but they are both getting bigger chances to shine even as underdogs in the NBA odds. And only two pieces of Brooklyn’s contributing roster can claim they were abandoned by Durant — Nic Claxton and Royce O’Neale.

But these are also the most competitive people on the planet and they can twist any slight into driving motivation. Just because there should not be animosity does not mean some can't be contrived. Combine that with a Suns reality and we can find value in our free NBA picks and predictions as we preview Suns vs. Nets on Wednesday, January 31.

Suns vs Nets odds

Suns vs Nets predictions

More concrete than the Brooklyn Nets’ possible motivations tonight is that the Phoenix Suns should be worn out.

This will be game No. 5 of a seven-game East Coast road trip and their third game in four nights. There are pros and cons to such a lengthy road trip — it cuts down on total air miles over the season, but no one really wants to be away from home for nearly two weeks. And there are only cons to the NBA forcing teams to play three games in four nights.

The Suns roster is not inherently old, but Kevin Durant and Eric Gordon are each 35 and, more notably, this rotation really goes only eight deep. In the last 10 days, Durant has played 40 or more minutes in three of six games, and at least 37 minutes in all six.

All due respect to Durant, as he is one of the greatest scorers of all time and anyone dismissing his career for any reason is displaying either blatant prejudice or a lack of a basketball intellect. But no one should expect Durant to continue carrying this load in his 17th season. Frankly, his field-goal percentage may reflect this wear.

Durant is taking more shots per game than any season since his Oklahoma City days except the 2021-22 campaign with the Nets, and he is shooting worse than any season since his Golden State tenure except 2021-22 as well. That middling 2021-22 Brooklyn team was also the last time Durant played more than 37 minutes per game (currently averaging 37.3 minutes per game), which would be the most Durant played in the last decade.

Again, Durant is a great, even still. This is not meant to dismiss him overall. It is meant to doubt Phoenix’s ability to have fresh offense tonight. The last 10 days have asked a lot of Durant and easing up at some point will make sense in the long run.

Tonight should be that night. These are two of the eight slowest teams in the NBA this season. Narrow that to this month and the Nets do not move while the Suns jump up to 15th-fastest. But if one of these two is more likely to revert to a grind, it is Phoenix on this road trip.

Even when playing at that quicker rate, the Suns have turned into an Under team of late. Across January, 10 of Phoenix’s 15 games have gone Under their totals, including eight of the last 10. One of those exceptions came at Indiana on Friday, the kind of game that should be excluded from all forward-thinking wonders unless they, too, feature the Pacers.

The Suns are an Under-leaning team these days, despite playing quicker. It will be understandable to see them begin to show some fatigue tonight, this road trip exacting its toll. And those are the known factors that lead to a best bet on this game’s Under, they don’t even ponder if Phoenix may have enjoyed the Miami nightlife on Monday or New York City’s last night.

My best bet: Under 233.5 (-110 at DraftKings)

Suns vs Nets same-game parlay

Under 233.5

Nets +3

Mikal Bridges Under 23.5 points

100% boost available

+625 +1,250 at DraftKings 

If doubting Durant’s ability to continue to carry this workload, then obviously there is a touch more value in Brooklyn to win tonight. It being a home game matters a great deal in that thought.

The Nets are 14-8-2 against the spread at home this season, including 3-1-1 as underdogs of five points or fewer in January. They went only 2-3 outright in those games though, suggesting that even with a one-bucket spread it may be prudent to doubt Brooklyn in clutch time.

Using the moneyline instead of +3 raises this same-game parlay’s payout to just +750, a 20-percent boost that may feel profitable but also is aggressively additive in risk.

Fading the Mikal Bridges odds on his points prop may appear counter-intuitive to putting faith in the Nets, but it is meant to suggest an all-around showing from the dynamic wing. With the defensive assignments he will need to take on tonight, focusing across the stat sheet will be more likely than getting buckets. Furthermore, he has scored 24 or more points only 15 times in 46 games this season.

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

Suns vs Nets spread and Over/Under analysis

Line movement here has flirted with charging toward Brooklyn, opening with the Nets as 3.5-point underdogs on Tuesday afternoon and dropping to +3 multiple times on Wednesday morning before settling there mid-morning.

The Suns have been short favorites three times on this road trip, and in the last two they lost outright.

The total has bounced up and down, opening at 232.5, peaking at 234.5 on Wednesday morning, and then falling back to 232.5 at most books before finding a home at 233.5.

It warrants noting that in 22 road games this season, Phoenix has brought home the Under 13 times.

Suns vs Nets betting trend to know

Phoenix’s three games on this road trip that were not against the up-tempo Pacers all went Under their totals by an average of eight points. Find more NBA betting trends for Suns vs. Nets.

Suns vs Nets game info

Suns vs Nets latest injuries

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