The big news over the past 24 hours in the NBA has been the action at the trade deadline. While it wasn’t an extreme deadline period, there were some notable deals right before the deadline on Thursday. The San Antonio Spurs made a small move at the deadline, while the Phoenix Suns stood pat on deadline day. Both of these teams are apparently comfortable with where they sit right now.

Why wouldn’t these teams be happy with where they are at this point? The Spurs are 40-15, and they come into this game with the second-best record in the Western Conference. The Suns have been the single biggest surprise in the NBA. This is a team that most expected to win 20 games or so for the entire year, and they are already at 32-21 for the season.

The Suns are 18-9 at home so far this year, but San Antonio has won both of the meetings between these two so far this season. Let’s take a closer look at this matchup.

Spurs at Suns Betting Story Lines

Not many teams have had to deal with as many headwinds as the San Antonio Spurs this year. San Antonio’s injury report has been long all year. Tony Parker is out of the lineup for the Spurs right now. Parker has several ailments, and the team decided it would be best to shut him down for a while. Manu Ginobili missed an extended period of time recently with a hamstring injury, but he rejoined the lineup earlier this week. Kawhi Leonard has been out of the lineup for a long time with a hand injury, but he is listed as probable to return on Friday night in Phoenix. It isn’t just the injuries, but also the fact that this team has had to deal with bouncing back from a heartbreaking NBA Finals loss last June. Most teams couldn’t respond the way the Spurs have.

How have the Spurs been able to be so good despite all the headwinds? There are two main factors that help San Antonio continue to stay near the top of the NBA. No. 1 is the Spurs amazing depth. I would argue there isn’t another team in the NBA that is as good at plugging in guys from the bench and not seeing a big drop off. A perfect example of this is how well Patty Mills is playing in place of Parker at the point guard spot. This team goes 10 deep easily. The second primary factor is management and coaching. Gregg Popovich is a coaching legend, and his leadership really fuels this team. The Spurs front office does a great job managing this roster and providing the team with tremendous depth.

Is there any doubt who is the Coach of the Year in the NBA so far this season? Jeff Hornacek’s work at the helm of the Phoenix Suns is nothing short of extraordinary. There were millions and reasons why this team should have been horrible this year, but Hornacek got this group of guys together, and they are playing with a purpose every single night. Even when adversity hits and it looks like the team is due for regression, the Suns just keep winning basketball games.

Most recently when the Suns lost star guard Eric Bledsoe to an injury, many expected the bottom to fall out for Phoenix. Instead, Phoenix has kept winning basketball games. Other youngsters have picked up the slack, and the Suns now have the sixth-ranked offense in the league. Goran Dragic averages 20.3 points per game to lead the team, and his play has been outstanding. Markieff and Marcus Morris have developed into steady contributors on the inside, which has been a big boost for this team. Phoenix has a plethora of guys who can shoot it from long range, which puts a ton of pressure on opposing defenses.

Spurs vs. Suns NBA Betting Odds and Key Trends

The Phoenix Suns are getting some respect from the oddsmakers in this one. According to odds from TopBet, the Suns are a one-point home favorite in this contest. The posted total is set at 208.5 points. Phoenix is 35-17-1 against the spread so far this season. The Suns are 21-7-1 ATS in their last 29 when playing on one day of rest. The Spurs are 4-0 ATS in their last four games in Phoenix. The “over” is 14-6 in the last 20 meetings between these two teams.

Free NBA Picks: San Antonio Spurs vs. Phoenix Suns Betting Predictions

The San Antonio Spurs aren’t even close to 100 percent here, but because of their amazing team depth, it’s extremely difficult to against them. At the same time, the Suns are playing with a ton of momentum and confidence. I don’t see any value on either side here. Instead, I like the value on the over. Both of these teams can score in bunches, and the tempo should be quick. Look for a higher-scoring game than the oddsmakers expect.

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