The Oklahoma City Thunder continue the defense of their title tonight as their first-round series continues against the Phoenix Suns at Paycom Center.
The questions for Phoenix is…how can they win even tonight’s game?
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Lets start with a review of Game 1. The MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 25 and the Thunder’s defense limited Phoenix to 35% shooting in a dominant 119-84 victory over the weekend. Chet Holmgren added 16 points and seven boards as everyone played and everyone except Nikola Topic scored for OKC. No starter for the Thunder played more than 29 minutes. Just something to note as Oklahoma City moves on in the postseason and faces teams undoubtedly battling fatigue due to long and intense series in earlier rounds.
More than likely still reeling from being blown out in the series opener, the Suns have to find a way to steal a win on the road. Phoenix will need a massive turnaround from their offense, which struggled immensely to find rhythm. Devin Booker scored 23 points including 2-5 from deep in the loss but even an outsized monster-scoring night from the All-Star alone will not cut it. The Suns must improve their execution on offense which MUST lead to Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green getting more involved in the scoring column. The two combined for 35 points in Game 1 but took 38 shots to get there. Gotta be better there and also on the glass. OKC outrebounded Phoenix 17-8 on the offensive end. With Mark Williams (foot) not expected back for the Suns, gotta find a way. Gotta be better.
Lets take a closer look at tonight’s matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game Details and How to Watch Live: Thunder vs. Suns
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Date: Wednesday, April 22, 2026
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Game Odds: Thunder vs. Suns
The latest odds as of Wednesday courtesy of DraftKings:
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Moneyline: Oklahoma City Thunder (-2100), Phoenix Suns (+1100)
This game opened Thunder -19.5 with the Game Total set at 212.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Expected Starting Lineups: Thunder vs. Suns
Oklahoma City Thunder
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PG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
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Phoenix Suns
Injury Report: Thunder vs. Suns
Oklahoma City Thunder
Phoenix Suns
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Mark Williams (foot) is questionable for tonight’s game
Important stats, trends and insights: Thunder vs. Suns
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The Thunder are 35-7 at home this season
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The Suns are 20-22 on the road this season
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The Suns are 47-35-3 ATS this season
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OKC is 40-42-1 ATS this season
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The OVER has cashed in 44 of the Thunder’s 83 games this season (44-39)
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The OVER has cashed in 38 of the Suns’ 85 games this season (38-47)
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OKC is 7-3 ATS in their last ten games against Phoenix
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Devin Booker is averaging 27.9 points in the playoffs in his career
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Over the course of the Suns’ two Play-In games and Game 1 vs. OKC, Dillon Brooks is averaging 17 points per game
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Last postseason, Shea Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 29.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game
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Chet Holmgren had 2 blocks in Game 1
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
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Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Wednesday’s Thunder and Suns’ game:
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Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline
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Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Thunder -17.5 ATS
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Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total UNDER 215.5
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
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Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
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Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
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Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
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Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)
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