Suns vs Knicks

Phoenix rolls into MSG on a two-game slide but still looks steadier than a Knicks group that has dropped seven of its last nine and stumbled to 3-7 over its last 10, while leaking around 119 points per game and nearly 40% from three during the skid. With Devin Booker and Jalen Brunson both carrying ankle-questionable tags, depth and structure matter: the Suns have quietly become a top-tier defensive unit and just beat these same Knicks 112–107 last week behind 31 from Booker and 27 from Dillon Brooks, even as Brunson poured in 27 in a losing effort. Booker has consistently carved up New York, averaging close to 29 points across his career meetings with the Knicks, and Phoenix’s position in the crowded West (seventh) gives them every incentive to treat this as a playoff-style road test, while New York, sitting third in the East, is simply trying to stop the bleeding. Given the recent head-to-head, the Knicks’ regression, and the uncertainty around Brunson’s ankle, I’m grabbing the plus money and backing the Phoenix Suns moneyline at +138 with a Grade B for solid value but real injury-driven volatility. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 17/01/2026 09:44([sports.yahoo.com](https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/suns-vs-knicks-prediction-odds-043627923.html/?utm_source=openai))

Devin Booker and Jalen Brunson both sitting on the injury report points this total toward a more methodical game than 224.5 suggests, especially with Phoenix cashing six unders in its last seven while New York’s offense has sputtered during its 3-7 stretch over the last 10 games. The Knicks’ recent defensive slide is real — opponents have hung 119 points per night and nearly 40% from deep over the last nine — but the Suns’ revamped identity is defense-first, ranking near the top of the league in defensive rating and generally dragging totals down even when they’re on the road. Their first meeting in Phoenix finished 112–107 (219 total) in a game where both Booker and Brunson played and scored, and with both now at risk of being limited or sidelined, the path to a lower-possession, whistle-heavy grind becomes even clearer. Add in midseason seeding pressure for a seventh-place Suns team and a Knicks squad still top-three in the East, and this profiles as more of a playoff-tempo contest than a track meet, so I’ll play Under 224.5 at -118 with a Grade B+ on the expectation that at least one star isn’t at full throttle. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 17/01/2026 09:44([sports.yahoo.com](https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/suns-vs-knicks-prediction-odds-043627923.html/?utm_source=openai))

New York’s seven losses in its last nine games and brutal 3-13 run against the spread make it hard to trust the Knicks laying -3.5, even with their strong straight-up home record and a raucous Garden crowd. Jalen Brunson’s sprained ankle remains a swing factor for New York’s offense, while on the other side Devin Booker’s own ankle tag is softened by how balanced Phoenix has become around Dillon Brooks, Mark Williams and a deep, defense-minded rotation that has covered in seven of its last eight. The recent 112–107 Suns win in Phoenix — plus Booker’s long-term scoring success against New York — suggests this matchup naturally stays within a couple of possessions, and the season series, standings context (Suns seventh in the West, Knicks third in the East) and fully stocked rosters around the questionable stars all argue for a tight, playoff-feel rematch. With the Knicks overvalued by market memory of their home dominance and the Suns quietly posting one of the league’s best ATS marks, I’m taking Phoenix +3.5 (-110) with an A- grade as the cleaner way to ride their consistency while fading New York’s current form. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 17/01/2026 09:44([sports.yahoo.com](https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/suns-vs-knicks-prediction-odds-043627923.html/?utm_source=openai))