The Phoenix Suns look to pick up where they left off before the All-Star break when Indiana visits PHX Arena on Saturday night. The Suns won four straight and seven of their final eight games before the All-Star hiatus. The win streak has Phoenix now in second place in the Western Conference standings just behind Utah. Phoenix is one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. How will that impact Saturday night’s betting action on the Pacers-Suns? Must Read > NBA Handicappers are Crushing Bookies Game: Indiana Pacers (16-19, 14-21 ATS) at Phoenix Suns (24-11, 24-11 ATS) When: 10:00 PM ET, Saturday, March 13, 2021 Where: PHX Arena, Phoenix, Arizona Current Line: OFF Total: OFF TV Network: FOX Sports Arizona The Suns are playing as well as anyone in the NBA right now. They will take on Portland on Thursday night prior to Saturday’s matchup with Indiana. Much of the Suns’ success can be attributed to an outstanding defense. Phoenix ranks third in opponents scoring average per game (107.1 ppg). They are also fifth in the league in defensive efficiency rating. In their last four games prior to the break, Phoenix held three of the opponents to fewer than 100 points and the Lakers managed 104 in a 114-104 loss to the Suns. Teams have a difficult time beating Phoenix when they cannot score. MAKE THE MOST OF MARCH MADNESS WITH THE RIGHT PAY PER HEAD SITE What is interesting in Phoenix’s recent string of success is that they not only won those four games in a row, but they also covered the spread in all four. That includes two double-digit spreads. They were favored by 10.5 over Minnesota and 12.5 over Golden State. For the season, Phoenix has the NBA’s best record against the spread - 24-11. That is where the value is at for bettors on Saturday. The Suns played at Indiana earlier this season (Jan. 9) and won on the Pacers home floor by a score of 125-117. Phoenix was a 3-point underdog. They were 6-3 at the time and coming off a bad loss to Detroit. The Pacers, on the other hand, have not been kind to spread bettors. They are just 14-21 ATS for the season. That includes an 0-6 ATS record in their last six games before the All-Star break. Indiana won just one of those games beating Cleveland 114-111 but failing to cover as a 6.5-point favorite. The Pacers are a middle of the pack team on both sides of the ball. Historically, Indiana has been one of the better defensive and rebounding teams in the league. This year, the Pacers are 29th in total rebounds per game and 20th in scoring defense allowing over 112 points a game. With Phoenix playing at home on Saturday night, bettors should expect the Suns to be favored by at least six points. Suns leading scorer Devin Booker is listed as day-to-day, but he is likely to play on Thursday against Portland. If he doesn’t play Saturday, Phoenix will still be favored but the spread may be -2 or -3. Back the Suns all the way to -8 as they win and cover another one at home. NBA Free Pick: SUNS up to -8 We’ve hit a bit of a rough patch with our picks. But go check out Texas Longhorns at Texas Tech betting preview.
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