Suns vs. Pacers prediction: NBA odds, picks, best bets for Friday

bettingsports oklahoma city thunder phoenix suns sports betting Sports Picks Bonus Code

The Indiana Pacers snapped a three-game losing streak with a 134-122 home victory over the 76ers on Thursday.

More impressively, they won without their star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who remains sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Haliburton wont be re-evaluated until Saturday, ahead of Sundays clash with the Grizzlies.

Thus, the recently named All-Star starter will miss his fourth consecutive NBA game as the Pacers wrap up their season series with the Suns on Friday night.

These teams faced one another just five days ago, with Phoenix winning, 117-110, at home.

After Indianas 134-point effort Thursday, were seeing the total bet up as high as 243.5 after opening at 240.

However, Ill share why a contrarian approach could offer some value, especially with the Pacers on short rest and playing the second leg of a back-to-back.

Suns analysis

Phoenix comes into this contest riding high on a seven-game winning streak. The Suns battled back from a 16-point first-half deficit against the Mavericks on Wednesday to win, 132-109.

They weathered the storm despite Dallas getting off to a hot start from behind the perimeter. Phoenix responded by dialing up its defensive intensity to take the Mavericks out of their rhythm.

Per TeamRankings, the Suns are a middle-of-the-pack defensive team, ranking 15th in efficiency while allowing 111.8 points per 100 possessions. However, during this winning streak, they have the seventh-best defensive rating (112.3 value).

Suns_vs_Pacers_prediction_NBA_odds_picks_best_bets_for_Friday Devin Booker and the Suns have won seven straight games. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters ConDue to injuries, the Suns only have 12 games with their preferred starting lineup of Grayson Allen, Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Jusuf Nurkic. But with a healthy starting lineup now intact, Suns players are better able to establish theirroles within the team.

One player starting to find his identity is backup small forward Josh Okogie. The sixth-year pro is best utilized coming off the bench and can be quite a stopper on defense.

When recently matched up against Luka Doncic, the Mavericks superstar had his worst shooting performance compared to when guarded by other Suns players.

Its all about balance for the Suns. If their starting lineup can stay healthy, theyll be better positioned to benefit from a defensive asset like Okogie, whos more effective when playing to his strengths.

Pacers analysis

Indiana shot a mouthwatering 57% from the floor in its victory over the 76ers.

Sixty-eight of the Pacers points came from inside the paint, which is surprising when the 76ers have Joel Embiid patrolling the interior.

The final score might make you think the Pacers had a big night from the perimeter, but they only attempted 28 3-pointers, which was well below their season average of 36.7 per game.

They did manage to make 12 3-pointers while shooting 42.9% from beyond the arc. But if you look at their last three games, they rank 25th with 10.3 3-point field goals and 29th in attempts with 26.7.

Suns_vs_Pacers_prediction_NBA_odds_picks_best_bets_for_Friday Pascal Siakam recently joined the Pacers. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters ConI dont expect the game speed to be as fast as in the Pacers-76ers matchup. After all, Phoenix ranks 24th in pace with 98.4 possessions per 48 minutes.

The Suns limited the Pacers to 48 points inside the paint slightly better than their season average of 49.5 per game. During this current streak, the Suns are allowing 45.4 points in the paint, putting them seventh in the league.

Based on those numbers, Id expect the Pacers to have some regression following a dominant shooting performance against the 76ers.

Suns vs. Pacers prediction

(7 p.m. ET,)

Im willing to bet the Pacers cant put up such prodigious offensive numbers on short rest.

According to our Action Labs database, when a home team plays after scoring 134 or more points the total is 200-167-4 to the under for 21.06 units.

Moreover, when a home team is on a back-to-back this season with an opening total of 240 or more points that closed even higher, the under is 5-2.

Betting on the NBA?

Check out the best NBA betting sites
Read our guide on how to bet on basketball
Get the latest NBA Championship odds

But if youre still unconvinced, the Suns are a perfect 5-0 to the under this season with an opening total of 240 or more points.

The market can be guilty of being a prisoner of the moment, but Im not taking the bait. Ill take the under at 244 / -110 with PointsBet.

Pick: Under 244 (-110, Fanatics) | Bet to 243.5

How many decks are used in poker?

In most popular poker variants, such as Texas Hold'em and Omaha, a standard deck of 52 playing cards is used. Each deck contains four suits (hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades) and consists of 13 ranks (Ace, 2 through 10, and the face cards: Jack, Queen, and King).

What is the bonus code for WPT Global Poker 2023?

The best bonus code for WPT Global is WPT777. By entering the bonus code, players will get a welcome bonus 100% up to $1,200 on the first deposit. The minimum deposit is $20.