Suns vs. Warriors prediction and odds for NBA Opening Night (How to bet total)

Two of the best teams in the Western Conference face off on opening night when the Golden State Warriors host the Phoenix Suns.

Chris Paul is now a Warrior after being traded for Bradley Beal – and then again for Jordan Poole – this offseason, and Kevin Durant and Beal are Suns.

There is a lot of turnover for Phoenix from last season, but the team is all in on competing for a title this season.

Meanwhile, Golden State is looking at what could be one of the final seasons of this core, as Klay Thompson and the team are far apart in contract extension talks.

With so much star power on the floor, how should we consider betting on this game?

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Now, let’s dive into the odds and my best bet for this matchup:

Suns vs. Warriors odds, spread and total

Suns vs. Warriors how to watch

• Date: Tuesday, Oct. 24
• Game Time: 10 p.m. EST
• Venue: Chase Center
• How to Watch (TV): TNT
• Phoenix Suns Record: 0-0
• Golden State Warriors Record: 0-0

Suns vs. Warriors injury reports

Phoenix Suns injury report

• Devin Booker (day-to-day)
• Bradley Beal (day-to-day)
• Damion Lee (out, knee)

Golden State Warriors injury report

• Draymond Green (out, ankle)

Suns vs. Warriors key players to watch

Phoenix Suns

Kevin Durant: Durant gets to take on his former team on opening night in what should be a fun offensive showdown. KD seems to be in a situation he wants to be in, which is a good sign for the Suns’ title hopes.

Bradley Beal: How will the Beal-Booker-Durant trio work? Beal is expected to be the team’s primary facilitator, but I wouldn’t be shocked to see all three of these players initiate the offense.

Golden State Warriors

Stephen Curry: Curry is coming off his best efficiency season in years, a sign that he’s still at the top of his game. He could be even more lethal this season playing off the ball with Chris Paul on the roster.

Jonathan Kuminga: Draymond Green (ankle) will not play in this game, so it’s possible that Kuminga gets extended run. The former lottery pick needs to become a consistent player for Golden State if it wants to compete for a title this season.

Suns vs. Warriors prediction and pick

I expect this to be a high-scoring game between two teams that possess some of the best offensive players in the game.

With Green missing this one, it’s a huge blow to the Golden State defense, as he’s the captain of the defense and helps the team play some bigger lineups with Andrew Wiggins at the small forward spot.

The Warriors had a defensive rating of 118.4 in the games Green missed last season. That number improved to 114.8 when he was in the lineup.

Golden State was a great OVER team regardless of Green though, as the team played at the fastest pace in the NBA last season. The Warriors hit the OVER in 55.4 percent of their games last season (including the playoffs).

Phoenix should be fine with playing up-tempo, as the team has three players that can get 30 on any given night in Booker, Beal and Durant.

The Suns hit the OVER in 53.3 percent of their games last season (including playoffs).

If Golden State looks to push the ball the same way it did last season, this could be a back-and-forth game where stops are optional. I’m intrigued by the fit with Paul on the roster, and I think he could help Golden State thrive in the non-Steph minutes.

Let’s have some fun Tuesday night and root for points.

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Find Peter Dewey’s NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.