Phoenix Suns vs Boston Celtics Preview (2/3/23): Prediction, Starting Lineups, Odds

Boston and Phoenix, two non-conference teams that have had great success in the past few seasons, square off on Friday night in an exciting matchup.

Check out our entire breakdown and in-depth analysis of this game below, featuring our betting picks, odds, predictions, projected starting lineups, and updated injury reports for both teams.

Phoenix Suns Vs. Boston Celtics Betting Odds

The Phoenix Suns are 9.5-point road dogs against the Boston Celtics on Friday night. Phoenix has struggled with injuries all season long and will continue to be without Devin Booker, Landry Shamet, Cam Payne, and Jae Crowder.

Danilo Gallinari won’t be available for at least a few more months for Boston, while Marcus Smart is also still sidelined.

Phoenix Suns Vs. Boston Celtics Prediction

Phoenix has won six of its past eight games, despite being without Devin Booker; it boasts a 9-15 record this season when he is not on the floor. The Suns have looked a bit more normal since returning Chris Paul and Cameron Johnson to the starting lineup, but Booker’s absence is still troublesome.

As a matter of fact, the Suns just dropped a home game to the Atlanta Hawks by 32 points, a concerning performance for this team.

On the other hand, Boston has been rolling after beating the Brooklyn Nets by an astounding 43 points. The Nets again were without Kevin Durant, but they are by no means a bad team.

Boston struggled the first few games without Marcus Smart but has since done a solid job of replacing his minutes.

Still, this feels like the spot for a letdown game from Boston. I still believe it will win, but ten points is tough to cover against Phoenix, especially after the emotional high of beating a division rival by 43 points.

While the Suns may be far from full strength, they have enough talented players to keep up with this Celtics offense. I’ll stick with the Suns against the spread and the Boston Moneyline.

Betting Trends

• Phoenix is 12-13 ATS on the road in 2022-23
• Boston is 14-12 ATS at home in 2022-23
• The combined over record of these two teams is 51-51-3 in 2022-23

Key Matchups

Mikal Bridges and Jayson Tatum make up a clear and obvious key matchup for this game between the Suns and the Celtics. Take a look below to see which player could have a big enough contribution to help their team over the proverbial hump.

Mikal Bridges vs. Jayson Tatum

Anyone who follows the NBA closely knows that Mikal Bridges is revered as one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. Bridges never misses games and always plays with the utmost intensity and sense of urgency, two keys to being an impact defender at the professional level.

Bridges also boasts a seven-foot wingspan, incredibly quick hands, and exceptional lateral quickness. Despite appearing to be a bit lanky, he possesses enough strength to guard bigger players like Jayson Tatum successfully.

Tatum has played in ten games against the Suns in his career and has never eclipsed 26 points. Further, his 43% shooting from the field and 32% from deep are well-below his career averages. He also is averaging more turnovers than assists per game in those ten bouts.

Remember: these matchups are all relative, so while Tatum should outscore and outperform Bridges on the stat sheet, it is all about whether or not he will play up to his own standard. In this case, I don’t think he will. Advantage: Bridges.

Phoenix Suns Starting Lineup

PG: Chris Paul
SG: Mikal Bridges
SF: Torrey Craig
PF: Cameron Johnson
C: Deandre Ayton

Boston Celtics Starting Lineups

PG: Derrick White
SG: Jaylen Brown
SF: Jayson Tatum
PF: Al Horford
C: Robert Williams III

Key Injuries

Phoenix Suns Injuries: Jae Crowder (Out), Cam Payne (Out), Devin Booker (Out), Landry Shamet (Out)

Boston Celtics Injuries: Marcus Smart (Out), Danilo Gallinari (Out)