NBA: Phoenix Suns vs. Toronto Raptors Preview, Odds, Prediction

The Phoenix Suns will have one very tough challenge in Toronto, where they meet the Raptors on Tuesday evening. The Canadian franchise posted six wins in a row, beating very solid teams during that run. Meanwhile, the Suns are too in solid shape, even though the schedule wasn’t too kind towards them. We expect to see one hell of a battle at Scotiabank Arena because these two teams usually play fast-paced basketball. 

Preview

Phoenix Suns (30-9, TBA) Head three straight games on the road, against the Celtics, the Hornets, and the Pelicans, winning the latter two, before meeting the Clippers and the Heat at home, being successful only in the first of those two events. 

Miami was more than confident in Footprint Center, beating the West champs 123-100, following a barrage from downtown, that saw them hitting 22 threes in 44 attempts. The Suns also had problems controlling the glass, getting only 35 rebounds, while the Heat had 49. 

Booker scored 26 points, but with poor shooting, 5-for-15, while Mikal Bridges added 20 and had six assists. Ayton ended the night with 12 and eight rebounds, while Chris Paul had one of the worst nights this season – nine points, seven assists, and four turnovers. We need to mention Cam Johnson, who scored 15 off the bench, but he too shot poorly, 4-for-13.

Toronto Raptors (20-17, TBA) posted six wins in a row, five of them at home. During this stretch, Nick Nurse’s team beat the Clippers, Knicks, Spurs, Bucks (in Milwaukee), the Jass, and lastly, the Pelicans, 105-101. To be honest, the most recent contest was, in fact, the most problematic for this crew. 

The Pels were constantly near, even taking the lead in the final few minutes, but the Raptors managed to fight off that surge and end up on the losing side. Rebounds made the difference in the key moments, as Toronto grabbed 46, 11 more than the rivals, 15 of them in the offense. 

Pascal Siakam would end the game with 29 points, 10 boards, and seven assists, shooting perfectly from the free-throw line, 10-for-10. Fred VanVleet scored 32, hitting eight three-pointers, while OG Anynoby scored 12 buckets, being the only one left in the home team with a double-digit number of points. Toronto appeared with only eight players in this match. 

Head to Head Games

This is the first meeting this year between the Suns and the Raptors. In 2021, the team from Arizona won both, after very interesting battles. At first, they would take down the Raptors at home, 123-115, and after that triumph on the road, 104-100. 

Prediction

The Raptors are pretty hot right now, with their form at its peak. We are still not sure how high the ceiling is for this unit because it appears that Nick Nurse constantly improves his players. Meanwhile, the Suns had a rough time and are about to experience even greater trouble as they hit the road for five consecutive away contests. We might see some combinations from Monty Williams, all to keep his players healthy and fresh. Toronto is our choice here, because they play at home and are looking marvelous, plus, Nurse knows how to deal with the teams who play fast basketball.

Pick: Toronto Wins

Here is the preview for Thunder vs. Wizards game.