The Valley is being rallied once again.
The Phoenix Suns are getting ready to tip off a new NBA season. And like much of the fan base, they have hopes for the franchise’s first league championship.
During a reduced 72 game regular season last year, Phoenix secured the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference and advanced to the NBA Finals. Unfortunately, the Suns ended up losing a 2-0 lead to the Milwaukee Bucks, as the East’s No. 3 seed won four straight games to claim the Larry O’Brien trophy.
But that was last season. The Suns have brought back their core group of players for the 2021-22 campaign, plus some key additions on the bench. The question is, can Phoenix make it out of the gantlet that is the Western Conference for a second straight time?
Suns among NBA betting favorites for championship
This will be the first NBA season during which fans can take advantage of Phoenix Suns betting in Arizona. Legal options abound with the proliferation of AZ mobile sportsbooks as well as retail areas beginning to open around the state. Folks that go to make a wager will see that the oddsmakers view Phoenix as a legitimate threat to win the NBA championship this time around.
After a run to the NBA Finals last season, it makes sense to see the Suns high on the list of championship odds. However, Phoenix had great injury luck for the most part last season. Meanwhile, nearly every other contender seemed to get hit hard by the injury bug.
During their postseason run, the Suns defeated the Los Angles Lakers (who lost big-man Anthony Davis), the Denver Nuggets (who were without star guard Jamal Murray) and the Los Angles Clippers (who were missing Kawai Leonard).
Phoenix expected to win 50+ games
Considering the cast of talent Phoenix returned from its Finals run, the Suns will certainly have a chance to put themselves in prime position for another postseason run.
Last year, Phoenix piled up 51 wins — the franchise’s most single-season victories since the 2009-10 season. Heading into the 2021-22 campaign, the over/under for the Suns’ total wins sits at .
The team finished with the second-best record in the NBA last year, going 51-21 in the 72-game season. They will have ten more games this season to achieve the same win total. However, there will also no longer be a surprise factor with this group.
And they are no doubt going to be on everyone’s radar now.
Awards and player prop betting odds for Suns
There are four Suns players who oddsmakers have their eyes on to put up big numbers and take home some NBA awards this season.
Many believe all-star guard Devin Booker has a good chance of becoming the third Suns player to win the Most Valuable Player award. Sportsbooks in Arizona pit his chances at doing so at . His name will be in the hat if the Suns are able to put together another strong season. And if they do, he will likely play a big role in that.
Booker is not alone in the MVP hunt. Last year’s key offseason acquisition Chris Paul will have a shot as well. After finishing fourth in MVP voting last season, Paul’s odds to win the 2021-22 award sit at . This year, he is also in the running to become the NBA assists leader, which DraftKings Sportsbook AZ set odds at +1200.
Deandre Ayton looks to have another strong season, potentially enough to make runs at the Defensive Player of the Year () and Most Improved Player () awards. Also getting consideration for MIP is Mikal Bridges. The odds for him to win the award are .
Arizona NBA betting tip-off specials
With the start of the NBA season fast approaching, FanDuel is offering Arizonans the chance to turn $2 into $150. New customers can claim the NBA tip-off bonus.
To access the promo, you just have to sign up using the FanDuel Arizona sports betting app, make your first deposit, and then bet $2 on any NBA team (possibly the Phoenix Suns) to win their season opener within the first two days of the season. If your bet wins, you will win $150 in cash.
It is important to note, this is a promo that can only be accessed through the FanDuel Sportsbook app. Desktop users will see a pop-up instructing them to download the app to claim their offer.
DraftKings Sportsbook has two offers bettors can cash in on. The Game of the Week Wednesday Scoring Special features the Suns home opener. You can opt in and place a pregame bet on the Suns-Nuggets game and get $1 toward a bonus bet for every point over 200 scored in the game.
Ahead of that is a special or the Lakers and Golden State Warriors matchup for “The King vs The Chef: Lebron vs Curry promo.” Just opt in and place a pregame moneyline bet on either the Lakers or Warriors and get $2 toward a bonus bet for every point your star player scores.
