After losing to the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2020-2021 NBA Finals, much was expected of the Phoenix Suns going into this season. So far, they have delivered on those expectations in a big way.

Were it not for the Golden State Warriors (18-2), the Suns would have the best record in the NBA at 17-3. The next closest team in the Western Conference is the Utah Jazz at 13-7. For comparison, the best record in the Eastern Conference belongs to the Brooklyn Nets at 14-6.

The Suns are currently +1300 in the betting to win the 2021-2022 NBA Championship Title. This looks like an opportunity to secure a great line on arguably the second-best team in the NBA.

 

Arizona Sports Betting Rollout

The start of the NBA season has driven further momentum into the newly legalized Arizona sports betting market. Legal online sports betting began with the start of the NFL season on September 9, 2021. And it’s been an overwhelmingly positive start. New users have flocked to the Arizona sportsbook apps. The Cardinals may have faltered slightly but are still well placed after a great first half of the regular season. And now the Phoenix Suns are giving Arizona basketball fans plenty to cheer about.

Under Bill HB 2772, Arizona’s professional sports franchises can partner any one of the online sportsbooks offer mobile betting access. In addition, many of the state’s Indian Tribes have also secured licensing and partnerships that give them entry to the market. Competition is fierce and the betting public are benefitting from the choices and bonuses available.

While the initial numbers have yet to be released, all indications are that October and November are going to show huge total betting handle numbers. If that’s the case, some portion of the credit is due to to the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals and the NBA’s Phoenix Suns. Casual sports bettors in particular like to bet on their local home teams. Winning is good for business.

 

Phoenix Suns Underrated?

So will the Suns be able to maintain their current momentum? Arguably they don’t get the respect they deserve. They are currently leading the NBA in FG% at 48.1% and rank 3rd in scoring at 113.0 PPG. With an adequate defense that is only giving up 105.0 PPG, they also have the second-best point differential in the NBA at 7.6 PPG. These are numbers the Suns can hope to maintain throughout the rest of the season, barring major injuries.

The high-flying offense is led by Devin Booker, who is averaging 23.9 PPG. He’s shooting 45.8% from the field and 41% from behind the arc. His primary partner in crime is Chris Paul, who is averaging 14.5 PPG but ranks 1st in the league in assists at 10.1 per game. Deandre Ayton is also making major contributions with an average of 15.4 PPG and rebounding of 11.4 RPG, which ranks 7th in the league. The Suns are a well-rounded outfit.

 

NBA Betting

From a betting perspective, the Suns are currently 11-9-0 against the spread (ATS). That’s slightly above average for NBA teams. Surprisingly, Suns’ games have gone under the total on 11 occasions. Based on this small sample, Arizona sports bettors will have to be choosy when finding value bets involving their team. It’s early in the season and any trends need more data points to become significant.

So while the Suns may not offer an obvious betting advantage, that’s not likely to dissuade loyal Arizona sports bettors. If the legalization of sports betting across the US has done nothing else, it has proven the loyalty of home fans. That was very evident for Michigan sportsbooks when the Michigan Wolverines played the Michigan State Spartans in a Top 10 NCAA Football matchup at the end of October. It no doubt contributed to record betting handle numbers in the Great Lakes State that month.

In the meantime, the Suns won’t mind flying slightly under the radar. Neither will their fans, especially the ones with the Suns on their winning betting slips.