Charlotte Hornets @ Phoenix Suns - January 12, 2025

Alright, folks! It’s game day, and I can feel the excitement buzzing through the city like a live wire. The Phoenix Suns are set to take on the Charlotte Hornets at Footprint Center, and let me tell you, this is going to be one for the books!

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “The Suns are favored by 9.5 points!” But hold your horses; this isn’t just about numbers. The Suns have had their ups and downs this season with an 18-19 record overall and a disappointing 13-24 against the spread. They’ve been struggling lately, covering only five of their last 17 games. However, they did manage to snag a win against the Jazz in their last outing—114-106—but failed to cover that hefty spread of -10.5.

On the flip side, we have our underdog Hornets who come into this matchup with an 8-27 record but have shown some fight recently. They’re 4-1 against the spread in their last five games despite being 1-10 straight up in their last eleven outings. Their recent victory over the Suns back on January 7th (115-104) proves they can hang with Phoenix when it counts.

Let’s break down some stats here because we all know how much I love my numbers! The Suns average about 112 points per game while shooting a solid 47% from the field and hitting around 37% from three-point range. Not too shabby! But defensively? They’re giving up more than they should—allowing opponents to grab nearly 43 rebounds per game and committing over 18 fouls.

Meanwhile, Charlotte struggles offensively with just over 106 points per game on a rough shooting percentage of around 42%. Their defense isn’t exactly stellar either; they allow opponents to grab more boards than they do themselves (46 rebounds). But hey, they’ve got heart!

So what can we expect tonight? Well, I’m predicting that our beloved Suns will rise above the Hornets tonight—not just winning but also covering that spread! With home-court advantage and a little extra motivation after losing to Charlotte earlier this month, I think they’ll come out firing on all cylinders.

As for that Over/Under line set at 224.5? Given both teams’ recent trends of going UNDER in their last five games each—I’m leaning towards another low-scoring affair tonight. So buckle up because it’s going to be an intense battle!

In summary: Suns win by double digits while covering that spread—and keep your eyes peeled for another UNDER performance as both teams struggle offensively! Let’s go Suns!