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Suns, Spurs meet in San Antonio on Monday
By: Brian Graham - StatFox
Published: 11/23/2015  at  11:19:00 AM
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PHOENIX SUNS (7-6)

at SAN ANTONIO SPURS (10-3)

Tip-off: Monday, 8:35 p.m. ET
Line: San Antonio -8.5, Total: 197

The Spurs try to stay perfect at home when they entertain the heavy underdog Suns on Monday night.

Phoenix (8-5 ATS) is wrapping up a three-game road trip where it shot 51% FG in Friday's 114-107 win at Denver, but made only 39% FG two days later in a 122-116 loss at New Orleans. San Antonio (8-5 ATS) is a perfect 6-0 SU at home this year where it allows a mere 85.3 PPG and has held four of six visitors to 83 points or less. This includes a 92-82 win over Memphis on Saturday. The Suns are just 1-9 SU in their past 10 trips to south Texas, but are an even 4-4-2 ATS during this span. The Spurs also hold a 15-5 SU advantage (10-8-2 ATS) in the past 20 meetings overall in this series. This includes three straight victories last season, with the final two coming in blowout fashion (101-74 and 107-91). Both teams provide plenty of reasons to boost bettor confidence on Monday, as Phoenix is 45-25 ATS after an ATS loss over the past three seasons, and is 18-6 ATS on the road versus good passing teams (23+ APG) in this same timeframe. However, San Antonio is 51-29 ATS versus dominant rebounding teams (5+ RPG margin) under head coach Gregg Popovich and is also 50-33 ATS versus good three-point shooting teams (36%+ threes) in the past three seasons. The only significant injury for either team is Spurs star PF LaMarcus Aldridge, who is questionable for Monday's game due to a sprained ankle.

Can the Spurs stay unbeaten at home with a comfortable win? For the answer, connect to The Platinum Sheet for all the Expert picks throughout the entire 2015-16 season.

Phoenix has a high-powered offense that likes to push the pace with 106.5 PPG on 44.2% FG and a blistering 39.5% threes. This long-range accuracy has been even more impressive on the road (41.8% threes), but the team shoots a paltry 42% FG overall in games away from home. The offense has really been clicking in the past five games with 110.4 PPG, including 115.0 PPG on the current three-game road trip. The Suns are propelled by their backcourt of Eric Bledsoe (23.2 PPG, 5.8 APG, 2.0 SPG) and Brandon Knight (21.7 PPG, 5.2 APG, 4.6 RPG, 1.5 SPG) who are shooting 39% and 41%, respectively, from three-point range. Bledsoe posted his eighth straight 20-point game on Sunday when he lit up the Pelicans for 29 points (7-of-15 FG, 4-of-8 threes, 11-of-12 FT), seven rebounds and six assists, but he also had five turnovers and five fouls. Knight has also been scoring in bunches with 19+ points in four straight games, but made only 5-of-18 shots on Sunday and has nearly as many turnovers (14) as assists (17) over the past three contests. When Phoenix feeds the paint, the ball usually goes to PF Markieff Morris (12.4 PPG, 5.3 RPG), but he is shooting a dismal 37% FG and 27% threes this season. But Morris contributed a strong 17 points and eight boards on Sunday, and the potential absence of LaMarcus Aldridge could allow for another big night on Monday. The Suns are not a bad defensive team with 102.6 PPG allowed on 45.3% FG and 33.2% threes. Although they have been much more generous on the road with 109.0 PPG allowed on 46.3% FG, host teams are making a meager 27.5% threes when entertaining Phoenix.

San Antonio averages a modest 100.4 PPG this season, but rarely takes a bad shot, with 25.5 assists per game leading to 47.3% FG and 36.3% threes. The Spurs have leaned mostly on SF Kawhi Leonard for points, as he leads the team with 21.3 PPG on 50% FG and 45% threes. The 2014-15 NBA Defensive Player of the Year also has 7.4 RPG, 1.7 SPG and 1.3 BPG this season. PF LaMarcus Aldridge is averaging only 15.3 PPG on 43% FG this year, which are well below his career averages of 19.3 PPG and 48% FG. But he's also grabbing 9.9 boards per game, and had double-doubles in two straight games before missing Saturday's affair with a sprained ankle. If Aldridge can't return for Monday, C Tim Duncan (10.8 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 1.8 BPG) will take some more shots in the post. Duncan had the first zero-rebound game of his brilliant career on Friday, but bounced back the next night with 10 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks. PG Tony Parker (13.0 PPG, 4.2 APG) is shooting a blistering 53% FG and 50% threes this year, and has also done a great job running the point in the past four games with 24 assists and only five turnovers. The Spurs defense has been excellent all season with 91.5 PPG allowed on 42.1% FG and 32.8% threes, and has been absolutely stifling at home where visitors are scoring a meager 85.3 PPG on 41.5% FG and 32.0% threes.


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