Phoenix (47-21) –2 ½, o/u 209 at New Jersey (40-28), 7:35 p.m. Eastern
Ultimatecapper.com Staff
First place in the Atlantic takes on first place in the Pacific when the Phoenix Suns visit the New Jersey Nets in an NBA inter-conference bout Monday night.
The Nets are the hottest team in the league, winning eight games in a row. Included in that streak are wins over the Lakers, Dallas, Washington and Detroit. New Jersey sits atop the Atlantic Division with an 8 ½-game lead over second-place Philadelphia. The Nets are also in third place in the Eastern Conference race, 5 ½ games behind second-seeded Miami.New Jersey went into Detroit Sunday and beat the Pistons 79-74 as seven-point road underdogs.
Phoenix leads the Pacific Division by 6 ½ games over the Clippers. The Suns trail Dallas and San Antonio by 6 games in the Western Conference race, but because those two teams are in the same division the Suns would be the #2 seed in the West if the playoffs started today.Phoenix is 5-4 over its last nine games. In their latest outing the Suns beat Denver Saturday 107-96 as nine-point home chalk.
New Jersey is 32-33 against the spread this season, 23-9 straight up and 15-14 ats at home, 17-12 ats as underdogs, 3-2 ats as home dogs. The Nets have also won outright 14 of the 29 games in which they’ve gotten points.
Phoenix is 37-30 vs. the number this season, 19-11 ats on the road and 29-23 ats as favorites.
The Suns have won four in a row in the series with the Nets. Phoenix beat New Jersey 92-81 in November as five-point home favorites in the only meeting so far this season between the two teams. The game went under by 30 points.
Phoenix shoots the heck out of the ball, hitting 48% from the floor, 39% from 3-point range and 81% from the line this season. The Suns own a 27/13 per game assist-to-turnover ratio, and a +6.7 point differential, 3rd-best in the league. The only concern might be Phoenix’s –3.7 rebounds per game margin.
New Jersey shoots 44% from the field, just 33% from long range (6th-worst) and 76% from the stripe. The Nets own a 23/13 A/TO ratio, and a -.6 rebounds per game margin.The over is 37-29 in Phoenix games this season, but 29-38 in New Jersey games.
The Ultimatecapper.com Pick: Pass
