Phoenix Suns vs. Indiana Pacers: Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 2/10/2023

Time: 7 p.m. ET

Venue: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN

Where to watch: BSAZ, BSIN

DraftKings: Suns -1

FanDuel: Suns -1

BetMGM: Suns -1.5

Caesars: Suns -1

Suns: 30-27

Pacers: 25-31

The All-Stars have been announced, the trade deadline is days away, and the NBA season has never seen so much parity and intrigue than it has at this moment. All you need to do is look at the Western Conference and laugh with a hearty burst at how ridiculous this season has been. You know what's not ridiculous? Our champion handicappers continuing to kill it on the NBA level over the last 30 days. All you need to do is take one look at what they're doing and see that this is the place to be as we purge through the second half of the season. Doc's Sports has been tremendous over the last month with a 17-8-0 run and net profit of $8,100. Team Del Genio has also been very good at an 11-6-1 run that has made for some very exciting runs near to the top. Basketball is taking full swing with football about to be set on the back burner, and you want to be locked in at bigal.com. Take advantage of our Best Bets page at bigal.com to see what our champion handicappers bring to the table. Make sure you're following winners at bigal.com and get that same kind of money in your pocket.

Suns: lost 116-107 at Hawks

Pacers: lost 116-111 at Heat

I have enjoyed basketball for many years. I’ve seen some crazy things and crazy instances on and off the court. The fact that Kevin Durant is a member of the Phoenix Suns right now is about as wild as one can imagine. He won’t be joining his new team until after the All-Star break, but his new Suns teammates will be trying to play shorthanded for a little bit when they face the Indiana Pacers on Friday.

The Suns are going all in right now with adding Durant, the two-time NBA champion and Finals MVP to their core of Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton and Chris Paul. They lose Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson in the process, but any time you can get Durant and challenge in the now-stacked West, you’ve got to do it.

"I think it's more than a lift," Suns coach Monty Williams said after a 116-107 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday night. "I think it's a jolt, if that makes sense. Just because of, not just who he is as a player, but his love for the game. I think the guys are going to see something that they may not have seen before as far as his approach and how much he just loves to play basketball.

"I think if he could hoop every day, 24/7 he would do that and I think that's who we are. And so to be able to have someone like that in your gym, but who's also ultratalented, and one of the best to ever do it, I think it's going to not just compliment what we do, it's gonna uplift and give us a bit of a jolt."

The Suns’ loss to the Hawks was the first sign of shorthanded play. They were already without Booker due to left groin soreness, along with Cam Payne and Landry Shamet. Ayton had 23 points and just two rebounds, while Paul had 15 points and eight assists. They had no answer for Trae Young and his 36 points with 12 assists.

That didn’t temper the excitement of adding one of the best players in the world well before the trade deadline.

"What KD say in that interview one time? What did he say? Y'all know who he is," Paul said. "So you add him to the daggone who is that that the Harlem Globetrotters play against all the time? The Washington Generals. You add him to them and they're going to be nice. You know what I mean? KD is different, man. He different. That's why he is who he is. He's been doing it in this league for a long time. We got to see what it is."

The Suns now move to near the top as favorites to win the NBA title this year, but while the move to Durant makes them the favorites in the West, it’s about to get wild. The Dallas Mavericks added Kyrie Irving and looked great in their first game minus Luka Doncic; the Los Angeles Lakers added wing depth and better post defense to go with LeBron James and Anthony Davis; the Los Angeles Clippers added some pieces around Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. And then there’s the Denver Nuggets currently sitting atop the West by a large margin.

At least for the Suns, they’ll be facing a Pacers team that’s lost six of seven coming in, the latest being a 116-111 loss at the Miami Heat on Wednesday. Buddy Hield led the way with 29 points, Myles Turner had 21 points, and Tyrese Haliburton had just 11 points but 10 assists. Indiana just had no answer for Bam Adebayo (38 points, 9 rebounds).

“Miami has a deserved, an earned reputation as a hard-playing team, a team that always responds to previous losses," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said.

Given the Suns are down personnel and playing the second night of a back-to-back with travel, it makes sense why they’re only favored by, at most, 1.5. I can see Indiana bouncing back. Until Durant makes his debut and Booker returns, the Suns are just trying to tread water. Pacers 112, Suns 108

Suns are 2-10 ATS on Friday games this season.

Suns are 13-14 ATS on the road this season.

Pacers are 10-13 ATS in non-conference games this season.

PG: Chris Paul

SG: Devin Booker

SF: Torrey Craig

PF: TJ Warren

C: Deandre Ayton

PG: Tyrese Haliburton

SG: Andrew Nembhard

SF: Buddy Hield

PF: Aaron Nesmith

C: Myles Turner

Injury report

Suns: Kevin Durant (out), Cam Payne (foot, out), Landry Shamet (foot, out)

Points: Devin Booker -- 26.8

Rebounds: Deandre Ayton -- 10.3

Assists: Chris Paul -- 8.7

Points: Tyrese Haliburton -- 19.8

Rebounds: Myles Turner -- 8.1

Assists: Tyrese Haliburton -- 10.2