Warriors host Suns on Nov. 2 with Curry, Green back and a 2.5-point line

The Warriors vs Suns rubber match is set for 10 p.m. ET on Monday night at Chase Center, with Golden State listed as a 2.5-point home favourite against a Phoenix club that has only one win so far. The over-under opened at 227.5, and the Warriors have covered five straight games against the number.The teams have met once this season. azcentral.com reported that Phoenix won the Oct. 24 game, and the Nov. 2 meeting is the immediate rematch. The Suns enter this game at 1-3 and are trying to pick up just their second victory of the season. The Warriors are 4-3 and have won four straight.

Curry and Green back at Chase

Golden State is not coasting into the game. Yahoo Sports’ preview says the Warriors are continuing a six-game homestand after consecutive wins over the Los Angeles Lakers and LA Clippers. The headline preview also says Curry and Green are back, and the Suns have to deal with Stephen Curry on a heater.

The Suns are an easier target than most. Peter Dewey of Sports Illustrated points out that Phoenix ranks 29th in the NBA this season in opponent 3-pointers made and dead last in opponent 3-point percentage, allowing 43.9 percent from long range. The same preview frames the best-bet angle around Curry and Devin Booker, pairing the NBA’s premier shooter with Phoenix’s go-to scorer.

Suns lineup, Warriors injury notes

Phoenix revealed its starting lineup for the Warriors game, but the available reports do not add new names beyond the context that the Suns are chasing another road win. Golden State released its injury report for the Phoenix game as part of its homestand package. The reports set up a cleaner Golden State roster than the one that lost the first meeting to Phoenix.

Phoenix’s starting five matters because the Suns have lost their last two games after the season-opening win. Against Golden State, the Suns are also sending their weakest 3-point defense against a Warriors attack built around Curry. The combination is the core reason bookmakers have Golden State favoured by 2.5 rather than more.

What the odds say

The posted line through the pregame coverage lists Golden State as a 2.5-point favourite. The total is 227.5 at Chase Center, and tip-off is 10 p.m. ET. Covers.com’s Suns-Warriors preview says the Warriors have covered five straight games and builds its prediction around Golden State. Detroit Free Press’s odds primer frames the meeting as a 1-3 Suns team visiting a 4-3 Warriors team on Monday night.

Phoenix’s defensive metrics are the sharpest number in the preview. The Suns allow 43.9 percent of opponent 3-point shots to go in and rank 29th in 3-pointers made against them. Even if Booker keeps scoring, Phoenix has to slow Golden State’s perimeter attack without help from a deeper home bench rotation staying in the game.

Game context and what to watch

This is not a neutral-site tuneup. Golden State has gone through the Lakers and Clippers to open the homestand, while Phoenix has only the Oct. 24 win as a resume builder. Phoenix is hoping the second game against Golden State turns out differently, but the returns have not supported that hope so far. The Suns won the first meeting in October and have not followed it with a winning streak.Bettors and viewers should watch the 3-point line. The Suns defend that shot badly, the Warriors cover games consistently, and the over-under around 227.5 should move with the early pace. The game tips at 10 p.m. ET on Nov. 2 at Chase Center, and the teams’ injury reports and starting lineups are already out ahead of tip-off.

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Ananya Suresh

Ananya Suresh writes about movies, OTT releases, television, entertainment, celebrities and popular culture. She follows emerging trends and brings together the latest stories and developments from the entertainment world.

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