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Sports BettingSunday, January 4, 20264 min read

Thunder Roll Into Phoenix at 30-5 as 8-Point Road Favorites

OKC is the best team in basketball and it's not particularly close. Sunday's matchup with the Suns is another chance to prove the Thunder are for real.

By Sharp Money Mike

Est. 2019
THE RAGING DEGENERATE
Your Daily Dose of Gambling News
Sports Betting
Thunder Roll Into Phoenix at 30-5 as 8-Point Road Favorites
OKC is the best team in basketball and it's not particularly close. Sunday's matchup with the Suns is another chance to prove the Thunder are for real.
By Sharp Money Mike
ragingdegenerate.com
#NBA #Thunder #Suns #betting #DegenLife #GamblingNews

The Oklahoma City Thunder are 30-5. That's not a typo. That's not a projection. That's their actual record through 35 games, and they're rolling into Phoenix as 8-point road favorites like it's nothing.

This is what dominance looks like.

The Quick Hit

  • What happened: Thunder (30-5) visit Suns (20-14) Sunday night at 8 PM ET
  • The damage: OKC -8, total 227.5, Thunder ML around -350
  • Why you should care: Best team in basketball continues its rampage
  • The move: Suns +8 has value, but taking Thunder ML is the safe play

SGA Is Playing Like an MVP

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is putting up video game numbers. He's averaging 32.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game. On defense, he's grabbing 1.5 steals (10th in the league) and swatting 0.7 blocks per game.

The man is doing it on both ends, and the Thunder are running away with the Western Conference because of it.

OKC just came off a near 40-point victory over the Warriors. That's not beating a bad team—Golden State is still a playoff contender. The Thunder just made them look like a lottery squad.

The Suns' Case for Covering

Phoenix is 22-10-2 against the spread this season, one of the best ATS marks in the league. They've covered twice this season when catching 8+ points, and they've got the star power to keep any game close.

Kevin Durant and Devin Booker are still capable of going nuclear on any given night. If both guys are cooking, the Suns can hang with anyone in the league for stretches.

The problem is consistency. Phoenix has been up and down all season, and their supporting cast hasn't been reliable enough to compete with elite teams for four quarters.

The Line Feels Right

Eight points is a lot to lay on the road, even for a team as dominant as the Thunder. But OKC has been covering spreads all season, and their defense is suffocating.

Chet Holmgren is averaging 18.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game. The second-year big man has been the perfect complement to SGA, protecting the rim and spacing the floor on offense.

Between them, these two teams average 237.9 points per game combined. The total at 227.5 feels low, but the Thunder's defense has been so good that they've been pushing games under lately.

The Betting Angles

Suns +8 (-110): Phoenix is too good to get blown out at home. Durant won't let that happen. Take the points and sweat out a back-door cover in garbage time.

Under 227.5 (-110): The Thunder's defense is elite. They're not giving up 115+ to a Suns team that's been inconsistent offensively. This one stays in the 220s.

SGA Over 30.5 Points (-115): He's averaging 32.1 on the season, and big games bring out the best in him. Phoenix doesn't have the personnel to slow him down one-on-one.

The Context

The Thunder are on a four-game win streak and have won 10 of their last 11. They're the clear favorites to come out of the West, and games like this are just tune-ups for the playoff run.

Phoenix needs this game more. They're fighting for playoff positioning and can't afford to fall further behind the pack. Urgency matters, and the Suns have it.

The NBA has been wild this season, with the Pistons emerging as a surprise contender and the Thunder running away with the West. If you're not betting NBA hoops right now, you're missing out on some incredible action.

The Bottom Line

The Thunder are the real deal, and 30-5 is not a fluke. They've got the best player in the league this season (don't @ me, Giannis stans) and a supporting cast that's deep and versatile.

That said, 8 points is a lot to lay on the road against a team with Durant and Booker. Take the Suns +8 if you want value, or just hammer the Thunder ML and collect your modest return.

Thunder 118, Suns 112. OKC covers by 6, teaser bettors rejoice, and SGA adds another 30-point game to his MVP resume.