Phoenix Suns no longer clear betting favorites to take home NBA Finals

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A Game 2 loss compounded by a Grade 1 hamstring strain to guard Devin Booker and a surging Golden State Warriors squad has moved the Phoenix Suns out of favorites territory to take home the 2022 NBA Finals.

Entering Phoenix’s Game 3 matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday, the Suns trail the Warriors in at least three sportsbooks.

DraftKings currently has the Suns at +425 to win the championship behind the Warriors at +300. BetOnline.ag has similar odds, with Golden State sitting at +275 compared to Phoenix at +450, but also has the Boston Celtics in the mix at +450.

According to FanDuel, Phoenix (+550) not only trails the Warriors (+280), but also the Celtics (+500) as favorites.

It’s been a week of back and forth in terms of betting odds following the Suns’ Game 2 loss to the Pelicans on Tuesday in their first-round matchup.

A lot of that can be credited to the unknown surrounding Booker and his hamstring strain.

While the Suns haven’t announced a timeline for the guard’s return, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported Friday that Booker could miss 2-3 weeks with the injury. A potential Game 7 matchup between Phoenix and New Orleans would be 11 days from when Booker went down.

Before exiting Game 2 late in the third quarter, Booker rattled off 31 first-half points after a 25-point effort in a Game 1 victory.

On top of Booker’s injury, the Warriors and Celtics have appeared to hit another gear this postseason.

The Warriors sit at 3-0 after a Game 3 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night. In the 118-113 win, the trio of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole combined for 80 points. Power forward Draymond Green chipped in a game-high 10 assists to go along with five rebounds, two steals and a block.

The Celtics currently hold a 2-0 lead over the Brooklyn Nets ahead of Saturday’s Game 3 tilt. In the matchup, Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 41 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds.

The Suns face off against the Pelicans at 6:30 p.m. Friday night. Tune to 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station for all the action.

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