Indiana Pacers vs Phoenix Suns 1/22/22: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Betting Odds, Live Stream

Indiana Pacers vs. Phoenix Suns Matchup Preview (1/22/22)

After winning five straight road games, Phoenix will finally host one at home, this time against the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers are winners of two straight against the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers, despite being short-handed and missing all of their starters. They may return Caris LeVert and Malcolm Brogdon for this game, but I would keep them on the bench if I were them. It makes no sense to try and rush them back when you will likely try to move them before the trade deadline. Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis have been ruled out for this matchup, which will be a huge positive for the Phoenix Suns, considering they will still be missing Deandre Ayton. This game should be a blowout no matter which way I try to spin it. Take a look below for more specific, betting-related information for this matchup!

Indiana Pacers vs. Phoenix Suns Betting Odds

Phoenix is currently favored by 11.5 points at home against the starter-less Pacers. This is a favorable spread if you are all over the Suns like I am. The only plausible explanation for this is the sportsbooks being conservative because Indiana has just won two straight road games while being short-handed. This spread should be around 13 or 14 points. I know the Pacers have had those couple of wins, but we have to remember that this is not a winning team. Additionally, they are on the road and going against the league’s best team that can’t lose right now. I’m on the Suns ATS.

TV Schedule

Date: 1/22/22
Time: 9:00 PM ET
Arena: Footprint Center – Phoenix, AZ
Channel: NBA League Pass

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Indiana Pacers Starting Lineup

PG: Keifer Sykes
SG: Chris Duarte
SF: Justin Holiday
PF: Torrey Craig
C: Goga Bitadze

Indiana Pacers Analysis

This is the most excited I have been writing about the Indiana Pacers all season. The Pacers have won back-to-back road games against the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors. While both of those teams are slumping, it is still a good sign to know that not everyone on Indiana’s roster has hung it up just yet. Ironically, they were without Myles Turner, Domantas Sabonis, Malcolm Brogdon, and Caris LeVert for the Warriors game, and they still were able to pull out the road win. They had none of their starters for that game, which could be arguably the most impressive feat from any team this season. Caris LeVert and Malcolm Brogdon remain questionable for this matchup, while Myles Turner, T.J. McConnell, and Domantas Sabonis have been ruled out. Still, this will be the most challenging game that the Pacers will play due to being short-handed. Additionally, if they are without LeVert and Brogdon again, I don’t see how this could be competitive, even if they play their guts out as they did against the Warriors.

Phoenix Suns Starting Lineup

PG: Chris Paul
SG: Devin Booker
SF: Mikal Bridges
PF: Jae Crowder
C: JaVale McGee

Phoenix Suns Analysis

Many, including myself, thought that Phoenix would struggle against Dallas since it would be without Deandre Ayton, Frank Kaminsky, and Dario Saric. Essentially, the Suns were without any serviceable big men; however, they still were able to grab yet another road win. The Mavericks don’t have great interior bigs, but the Suns were giving Bismack Biyombo starter minutes, so surely Dwight Powell and Kristaps Porzingis should have been able to take advantage. Still, the chemistry that the Suns play with has allowed them to continue this impressive stretch on the road. This undoubtedly is due to the leadership and poise of Chris Paul and Devin Booker, who are playing phenomenal basketball right now. Don’t overthink this: Phoenix is the best team in the league right now.

Indiana Pacers vs. Phoenix Suns Daily Fantasy Picks

Chris Duarte is fresh off an explosive game against the Golden State Warriors, who are one of the top defenses in the NBA. In that matchup, Duarte dropped a career-high 27 points, seven rebounds, and three assists on 10-for-16 from the field and 2-for-3 from behind the arc. The Warriors did not have an answer for the 24-year old rookie, despite knowing he would carry the majority of the offensive workload. For the 2021-22 season, Duarte is averaging 13.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists on a 44/35/72 shooting split. His averages should continue to increase as he steps into a more significant role and becomes more comfortable with the speed at the NBA level. Still, these are wonderful numbers for a rookie, and the Pacers have a lot to be excited about. Duarte has been particularly effective in his past three games, averaging roughly 21 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Part of Duarte’s appeal coming out of college was how complete of a player he was: he could defend, shoot, handle, and create at a high level already. It will be exciting to see how he continues to grow, and the second half of the season will likely feature him more than in the first half due to the Pacers being non-playoff contenders.

Surely, I sound like a broken record, but you have to consider Devin Booker for your DFS lineup. With Deandre Ayton still out, Booker will continue to shoulder more offensive responsibility than usual. Additionally, Booker has been an absolute flamethrower in his past four games, averaging 35.3 points, 4.8 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game. This is nearly 11 points higher than his season average, and it does not look like he plans on slowing down anytime soon. Since Booker yelled at the Toronto Raptors’ mascot towards the end of their game on January 11th, he has been on a mission. Booker was getting “dragged” (negatively discussed) on social media after the game with claims that he is “soft,” and clearly, he has not taken too kindly to that. The Suns have won five straight, all of which were road games, including the win in Toronto. Phoenix is an unstoppable force at the moment, and Devin Booker is the man at the helm, making opponents sweat whenever he has the ball. If you can spare his expensive salary, then he makes complete sense to plug into your DFS lineup, especially against a mediocre Pacers’ defense.