The Phoenix Suns smelled blood in the water entering the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s Game 2 of their NBA Playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks.
The Suns shellacked the Mavs, 40-26, during the game’s final stanza, taking a commanding 2-0 series lead after pummeling Dallas 129-109.
As a result, the Suns find themselves as a clear favorite to win the 2022 NBA Finals across a quartet of new Arizona sports betting apps.
The outstanding play of Suns guard Devin Booker has also caught the eye of NBA betting sites, with several listing him as the NBA Finals MVP favorite.
Booker certainly looked the part Wednesday, scoring a team-high 30 points on 11-of-19 shooting, adding four rebounds and four assists.
The former Kentucky Wildcat and his backcourt mate, Chris Paul, teamed up to tear down the Mavs in the game’s final quarter, with the duo fueling the team’s 33-9 run.
Paul finished with 28 points, 14 of which came in the game’s fourth quarter, while dishing out eight assists and hauling in six rebounds.
The Suns and Mavericks meet in Dallas at 6:30 p.m. Arizona time Friday for Game 3 on ESPN.
Suns vs. Mavericks Series Schedule
- Game 1: Suns 121, Mavericks 114
- Game 2: Suns 129, Mavericks 109. Suns lead 2-0.
- Game 3: Friday, 6:30 p.m., ESPN, in Dallas.
- Game 4: Sunday, 12:30 p.m. ESPN, in Dallas.
- Game 5: May 10, TBD TNT, in Phoenix (if necessary).
- Game 6: May 12, TBD ESPN, in Dallas (if necessary).
- Game 7: May 15, TBD, in Phoenix (if necessary).
Suns Expand Commanding NBA Championship Odds
The Suns' dominance in the first two games of their series against the Mavs’ has caught the eye of Arizona sports betting oddsmakers.
BetMGM Arizona, Caesars Sportsbook Arizona, DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona and FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona all have the Suns at +200 to win the title — well ahead of No. 2 Golden State.
For reference, Phoenix entered Game 2 listed at +235 on DraftKings Sportsbook, at +250 on FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona and BetMGM Arizona, and at +260 on Caesars Sportsbook Arizona.
Suns Slight Favorite in Game 3
Phoenix, after winning twice at home in the series, is a slight favorite Friday night on the road.
DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona has Phoenix -1, while both teams have a moneyline of -110. At BetMGM, the Suns are up to -1.5 with a +120 moneyline.
Player Props to Watch in Game 3
As for player props, Caesars Sportsbook has +120 odds that forward Deandre Ayton will notch a double-double in Game 3, to go with +130 odds that Paul will do the same.
If you’re feeling really adventurous, the Emperor has +1600 odds that Booker will finish Game 3 with a double-double.
The over/under on points in Game 3 is 26.5 for Booker, 17.5 for Paul and Ayton, 13.5 for Mikal Bridges, and 9.5 for Jae Crowder on Caesars Sportsbook Arizona.
As for rebounds, the over/under is 9.5 for Ayton, 5.5 for Crowder, and 4.5 for the other three Suns, while the assists over/under is 8.5 for Paul, 4.5 for Booker, 2.5 for Bridges, and 1.5 for Ayton and Crowder.
Teams that have taken a 2-0 series lead have advanced 92.9% of the time, doing so in 408 of 439 chances.
