Phoenix Suns vs Denver Nuggets 3/24/22: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Betting Odds, Predictions

Phoenix Suns vs. Denver Nuggets Matchup Preview (3/24/22)

The first-place Phoenix Suns will look to grab a huge road win against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night in Ball Arena. Phoenix still will not have Chris Paul back in its lineup but has been surprisingly stable without him, amassing a 10-4 record in that span. Devin Booker and the rest of the Suns have stepped up in increased roles and responsibilities on both ends of the floor during Paul’s absence, and it has further proved that there is an established winning culture in Phoenix. Denver is still waiting on the return of two of its stars, Michael Porter Jr and Jamal Murray. Porter is expected to be back before Murray, but the Nuggets are hoping that both will return before the playoffs. Meanwhile, Nikola Jokic has been incredibly impressive, leading this team to a winning record and a spot in the playoffs. Check out the betting odds section below to see who I project to win and cover in this game.

Editor’s Note: Chris Paul has since been made active by the Suns. He will be playing in this game.

Phoenix Suns vs. Denver Nuggets Betting Odds

I usually try to avoid betting just based on trends, but this game may be an exception to the rule. I will be leaning towards the Suns against the spread merely because of how well they have covered in away games this year (21-13 ATS.) Additionally, Denver has been atrocious covering the spread as a home team, so the trend is certainly there on both sides.

How To Watch

Date: 3/24/22
Time: 9:00 PM ET
Arena: Ball Arena – Denver, CO
Channel: NBA TV

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Phoenix Suns Starting Lineup

PG: Chris Paul
SG: Devin Booker
SF: Mikal Bridges
PF: Jae Crowder
C: Deandre Ayton

Phoenix Suns Analysis

The NBA playoffs are getting closer every day, and Phoenix has been doing everything it can to ensure a healthy roster before then. Reports suggest that Chris Paul is ahead of his initially projected timetable for return, which is terrific news for the Suns. Even though Phoenix is still having some success without Paul, it will be unbelievably huge to return one of the greatest point guards ever to its starting lineup. Additionally, Cam Payne is getting some more valuable minutes and experience with Paul out, so this could be beneficial to the Suns in the long term. Phoenix will still need to return one of its best shooters in Cam Johnson sooner versus later to ensure it is fully healthy for the playoffs. Johnson had a similar injury a few years ago and missed ten games before being able to return. He has missed nine games, so hopefully, his return should come well before the playoffs begin. Once Paul and Johnson return, this team will be tough to beat, regardless of how competitive both conferences are this season.

Denver Nuggets Starting Lineup

PG: Monte Morris
SG: Will Barton
SF: Jeff Green
PF: Aaron Gordon
C: Nikola Jokic

Denver Nuggets Analysis

It will be a short turnaround for the Denver Nuggets as they played Tuesday night; however, this will be another home game, so they will not have to go anywhere. The Nuggets disposed of the Los Angeles Clippers without many issues, holding them at arm’s length for most of the game. Nikola Jokic continued his incredible MVP run against the Clips, posting 30 points, 15 rebounds, and six assists on merely 16 shots in that game; he even added three blocks and two steals! Jokic has been the motor for this team. It is hard to imagine that many people expected the Nuggets to have as much success as they have without Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. Porter is scheduled to return in the next week or two, which will be incredibly helpful. However, Denver still needs to get Jamal Murray back before the playoffs for any chance at a deep run.

Phoenix Suns vs. Denver Nuggets Daily Fantasy Picks

Mikal Bridges has turned into one of my favorite players in the NBA, even though he is not what you would consider an “All-Star.” Bridges is quite literally a master of his craft, back-cutting defenders and hitting threes in transition and post fades in the middle of the lane. He does all of this while defending the opposing team’s best wing player; it is incredible. Additionally, it is very underappreciated how in shape Bridges has to be in to do all of that at a high level. In fact, Bridges may just be the most “in-shape” player in the NBA today. You can also count on Bridges to fill up the stat sheet in several areas. If he is having an “off-night” shooting from deep, he will find ways to get easy buckets in transition or the half-court. He also can rack up steals and rebounds if needed. Recently, Bridges has been even better, averaging 20.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in his past seven games. Bridges posted 26 and 27 points in two of those games, which is insanely good for a player with a lower salary in DFS. In that stretch, Bridges has also managed to post a shooting split of 54/41/86, which borders on “elite shooting.” I will consider Bridges for any matchups in the future if he continues this play.

A player that I have talked a lot about recently for the Denver Nuggets is rookie Nah’Shon “Bones” Hyland. Bones was having a decent rookie season for most of the year but has really turned it on in his past 11 games. During that stretch, Hyland has posted 14 points, 4.2 assists, and 3.1 rebounds on a mind-boggling 51% from behind the arc on just shy of six attempts per game! Few players can do that for an extended, double-digit game stretch, but Hyland has made it look relatively easy. Since Hyland is a rookie, and several other players can score for the Nuggets, his DFS salary has not caught up to his actual value. This is a spectacular opportunity to plug Hyland into your lineup for cheap, and hope he has a huge game that wins you money!