NBA Betting Trends - Phoenix Suns vs. San Antonio Spurs

Wednesday night offers an intriguing NBA wagering match-up between two of the league’s best teams over the past few years when the Phoenix Suns visit the San Antonio Spurs. Basketball sportsbooks have set the line at (–2) in favor of the Spurs, with a total of 187.5.

Two teams bounced from the basketball playoffs earlier than they hoped a year ago, the Spurs and Suns are expected by many NBA handicappers to take a step back in 2008-2009. The odds to win the championship for both teams reflect this, as they are significantly lower than in years past.

For Phoenix in ‘08, sports betting lines could be far different than in years past. This will be its first season under new head coach Terry Porter, a former Detroit assistant with a defense-first reputation. Porter replaces Mike D’Antoni, whose run-and-gun, up-tempo style of play forced sportsbooks to set astronomical totals. But with a revamped roster featuring last year’s trade acquisition Shaquille O’Neal, these Suns are poised to run less and run more traditional half-court offense.

Going away from their bread and butter, which had pushed them into the NBA elite, is the primary reason for their expected downfall; But running O’Neal all game simply isn’t an option. It does however give Phoenix possibly the most physically-imposing frontcourt in the NBA, with star Amare Stoudamire lined up at power forward. For Suns’ optimists, it’s O’Neal’s presence in the interior that’s expected to help Stoudamire flourish this season, as teams will have a difficult time double-teaming one or the other down low. Phoenix bettors will undoubtedly need this to be the case in order to cash a majority of their tickets this season.

For San Antonio, the season got off to a bad start before it even started when guard Manu Ginobili was injured in the off-season. He won’t return until December, meaning NBA lines on the Spurs will also be considerably different early on.

Aside from how they will replace their super-sub, the biggest issue facing San Antonio is its collective age. The majority of the players in its rotation are in their 30s, so how much longer can the Spurs expect significant contributions from the likes of Michael Finley, Bruce Bowen, and Robert Horry? Adding 28-year-old guard Roger Mason in the off-season helped address this issue, but the Spurs are still a veteran-dominated team.

If they start to show their age, expect their sports betting odds to be less favorable than they’ve been over the past few years.

Sports betting aficionados should take note of the Suns’ injury woes in the preseason before deciding to place an online wager on either team. All-world point guard Steve Nash missed three games as did O’Neal, and Stoudamire and Leandro Barbosa missed four apiece. All four players are expected to play, but it’s surely something to consider before betting online.

Thursday night should provide NBA fans with valuable sports betting information. How effective will the Suns’ new style be under Terry Porter? How will the Spurs cope without Ginobili for the next 1-2 months? Before you tune in to ESPN for the answers, log on to BetUS.com and place your bets on the nets best NBA sportsbook.