The Phoenix Suns took a big swing and missed. The addition of Bradley Beal to their star duo of Kevin Durant and Devin Booker didn’t work out well last season. The Suns were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, and their organization had championship hopes. They enter this season with similarly lofty expectations, but it is unclear if they’ve built the depth needed to contend. Our 2024-25 NBA season betting preview will look at the Suns over/under win total odds and see if they are a good choice for your best NBA bet today.
2024-25 NBA Betting Preview: Phoenix Suns Win Total Odds
*All Suns win total odds are courtesy of FanDuel.com*
Solid Season, Bad Playoffs
Kevin Durant 4th Quarter Highlights vs Kings
Led 32-8 RUN along w/ EG&Grayson
Elite Defense pic.twitter.com/6PulC4Of25
— 𝐇𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 ✰ (@Hatedzs) January 17, 2024
The Suns won 49 games last season in a competitive Western Conference. That is no easy feat. They did however go under their projected over/under win total of 51.5 and lost in the first round of the playoffs. They were swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves. The presumed big three of Beal, Booker, and Durant showed flashes of offensive brilliance, but they were unable to play enough games together to build the chemistry needed for a deep playoff run.
The biggest issue with the Suns last season was with their depth. Trading for Durant and Beal gutted the Suns of not only draft picks, but roster depth. Their fourth leading scorer was Grayson Allen, who averaged 13.5 points per game. Beal only played 53 games last season, and players like Allen were forced to step up.
Durant and Booker had great seasons, as usual. Durant was named Second Team All-NBA, and Booker was named to the All-NBA Third Team. However, not having a traditional point guard to organize the offense kept the Suns stagnant at times.
Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer announced their starting lineup for next season:
Tyus Jones
Devin Booker
Bradley Beal
Kevin Durant
Jusuf NurkicThe four-man lineup of Booker, Beal, Durant, and Nurkic outscored opponents by 9.4 points per 100 possessions last season. pic.twitter.com/uTuFVidAxq
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) September 27, 2024
Organizing the Offense, Improving Defense
The Suns roster needed a point guard. Having three elite scorers without a point guard to distribute the ball to them didn’t pan out. So, this offseason, they picked up two ball handlers, Tyus Jones and Monte Morris. Jones averaged 7.3 assists last season for the Wizards and will take the starting point guard role in Phoenix.
With a more structured offensive hierarchy, the stars could be all the Suns need to improve next season. However, scoring wasn’t the biggest issue with the Suns last season. The Suns ranked 13th in defensive rating last season. The Suns have brought in coach Mike Budenholzer to help improve their defensive deficiencies. Budenholzer helped craft elite defenses in Milwaukee and has NBA championship experience.
Suns Win Total Odds
Despite their offseason pickups and adjustments, the Suns win total is set at 47.5 for next season. They’ve gone under their projected win total for the last two seasons. The Suns hadn’t been projected for under 50 wins in each of the last three seasons.
The Suns should have improved point guard play as well as a new coaching staff. If Budenholzer can improve the Suns defense, with Booker and Durant leading the offense, going over 47.5 wins should be easy. That being said, Durant is getting up there in age, and the Suns depth will continue to be a weakness.
