Suns vs Warriors Odds, Picks, and Predictions Tonight: Looney Mans Boards in Green's Absense

The NBA loves few things more than a superteam, and the newest attempts at one will highlight NBA opening night.

Neither the Phoenix Suns nor the Golden State Warriors completely reinvented themselves this offseason, but adding Bradley Beal and Chris Paul, respectively, will make for some interesting adjustments early this season.

Will the Suns already look like the Western contenders they expect to be with the addition of Beal? Well, more so than they already did? Probably, but there may be a better angle to attack tonight.

Let’s find it in our free NBA picks for Suns vs. Warriors on October 24, with tip set for 10:00 ET. Be sure to also check out our best Steph Curry prop picks.

Suns vs Warriors odds

Suns vs Warriors predictions

An ankle injury will sideline Draymond Green to start the season. He practiced Monday, but Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said he did not yet feel comfortable playing Green in a game. Enter Kevon Looney.

Both Golden State and Phoenix are lacking in size. Without Green, the Warriors can turn to Looney, Jonathan Kuminga and, oh let’s be generous here, Dario Saric. And though Green may be only 6-foot-6, he plays far bigger than Kuminga does at 6-foot-7, while Saric may take some months to crack the Golden State rotation.

That leaves the 6-foot-9 Looney. Before delving into a 2022 trend, let’s acknowledge the mismatch he may enjoy against the Suns.

Their summer roster makeover has left Jusuf Nurkic and Kevin Durant as the primary pieces of size. Phoenix will very much hope for an offensive onslaught come the postseason because its defense will struggle against any bigs.

And Looney is a more active rebounder than either, both on paper — averaging 14.0 rebounds per 36 minutes last season, better than Nurkic’s 12.2 and Durant’s 6.8 — and by the eye test, as anyone who watched his display in the first round last year against the Kings should remember, peaking with 56 rebounds combined in Games 3, 4, and 5, Golden State’s vital first three wins in that series.

Looney was not that productive in the regular season, but still, in his last seven games without Green in the lineup, he averaged 12.7 rebounds. He did struggle in his first two games in that instance, but the Warriors struggled as a whole.

The selection size of his last seven regular-season games without Green both better portrays Golden State in 2022 and still includes a couple of lesser games from Looney; it's not a wholly charitable selection.

Then Looney’s postseason breakout began when Green was suspended for Game 3 against the Kings, Looney grabbing 20 rebounds in 31 minutes, posting a +21 plus/minus as the Warriors won by 17.

They learned how to best function without Green but with Looney, and that lesson will not be changed by Chris Paul’s arrival. Against an undersized opponent, Looney should feast on the glass tonight.

Caesars sportsbook also has a 50% profit boost available for one NBA bet tonight, so you could apply that here to boost this play up to +150

My best bet: Kevon Looney Over 10.5 rebounds (+100 at Caesars | +150 with profit boost) 50% boost available

Suns vs Warriors same-game parlay

Kevon Looney Over 10.5 rebounds

Devin Booker Over 6.5 assists

Suns ML

Bonus bet available

+675 at DraftKings

Booker has played as the lead guard before, most pertinently averaging 6.5 assists in 14 games early last season without Chris Paul by his side. That may be his new baseline, even if sportsbooks have not adjusted yet.

Booker did not have Kevin Durant in the lineup back then, and Deandre Ayton was not as adept in the pick-and-roll as Nurkic should be. Add in the outside shooting of Bradley Beal, and playmaking should become second nature to Booker this season.

That should also test Golden State’s defense more than has necessarily been realized ahead of time, but the real reason for betting Suns moneyline is that as well as Looney plays without Green, the Warriors do not necessarily. They went 3-4 straight up in those seven aforementioned games, those wins coming against the Rockets, the short-handed Timberwolves, and the short-handed Cavaliers.

Strong and healthy opponents — teams like the early-season Jazz, the 76ers, the Nuggets, and the Hawks — handled Golden State when without Green.

DraftKings is also offering one bonus bet for the NBA opening week, so you could choose to apply it here and tail this SGP without using your own bankroll!

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

Suns vs Warriors and Over/Under analysis

Curiously, the Green news hardly moved the spread. Summer look-ahead lines kept this game within a bucket, most favoring Golden State by 1.5 points, but the last few weeks flipped that to Phoenix having a one-point edge.

Monday’s confirmation of Green’s absence saw no flicker, only for Monday night to bring a return to the Warriors being favored by a point.

Losing Green did impact the total, though. It had held steady at 232 for much of the last month before jumping to 235 on Monday afternoon and settling at 234.5 that night.

Suns vs Warriors betting trend to know

Golden State is 3-6 ATS in home openers under Kerr, including 1-6 since 2016. Find more NBA betting trends for Suns vs Warriors.

Suns vs Warriors game info

Suns vs Warriors latest injuries

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