Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton (sprained left ankle) has been upgraded to questionable for Friday night’s road game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Chris Paul (hip) and Landry Shamet (hip) are out.
Jae Crowder (groin), Devin Booker (groin), Cameron Payne (foot) and Cameron Johnson (knee) are out indefinitely. At the halfway point of the 2022-23 season, Phoenix is 21-22 and in seventh place in the Western Conference.
According to popular NBA betting sites, the Suns have the 11th-best odds to win the championship. Few sportsbooks are giving better odds to the Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Clippers.
Deandre Ayton (sprained left ankle) is questionable for tomorrow’s game against the Timberwolves. Devin Booker, Chris Paul, Cam Johnson, Cam Payne and Landry Shamet all remain.
— Gerald Burgett (@geraldburgett) January 12, 2023
Ayton has missed six games this season. In 37 starts, the fifth-year center is averaging 17.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and a team-high 2.0 assists per game. He is also shooting 59.2% from the floor and 33.3% from beyond the arc.
On December 28, in the Suns’ 127–102 loss to the Washington Wizards, Ayton scored a season-high 31 points in 37 minutes of action. He shot 14-of-22 (63.6%) from the field and missed one 3-pointer.
Suns guards Chris Paul (hip) and Landry Shamet (hip) are out, while center Dendre Ayton (ankle) is questionable against the Timberwolves on Friday.
Kyle Anderson (illness), Taurean Prince (ankle) and Anthony Edwards (hip) are all listed as questionable on the Timberwolves’ injury report. Karl-Anthony Towns (calf) and Jordan McLaughlin (calf) are out indefinitely.
Phoenix has won just two of its last 10 games. The Suns’ 125-113 win over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday snapped a six-game losing streak. However, they are 1-5 in their last six road games.
What’s more, Phoenix is 5-1 ATS in its six games against Minnesota. And the team has won its last six meetings with the Timberwolves. But the Wolves have failed to cover the spread in their last nine contests on Friday.
NBA INJURY ALERT: Timberwolves SG/SF Anthony Edwards (hip) is questionable for Friday’s game against the Suns. pic.twitter.com/D3R2XhFv5I
— DK Nation (@dklive) January 12, 2023
As for Minnesota, the struggling team isn’t playing any better than Phoenix. In fact, the Timberwolves are 4-6 in their last 10 contests. Still, at least Minnesota is 4-1 in its last five games. To add to these betting trends, the Wolves have covered the spread in their previous five matchups against Western Conference opponents.
Additionally, the Suns won the first two meetings of the season series. Nov. 1 and 129-117 eight days later in a 116-107 win over Minnesota. Phoenix is 7-15 away, 16-11 as the favorite, and 4-11 as the underdog.
On the other hand, the Timberwolves are 12-9 at home, 13-9 as the favorite, 7-13 as the underdog and 20-22 overall. Sportsbooks have not yet released betting lines for Friday night’s game. However, according to ESPN’s Basketball Power Index, Minnesota has a 64.6% chance of beating the Suns.
