NBA Basketball BETTING PREVIEW - Phoenix Suns @ Oklahoma City Thunder

NBA Basketball

2026-04-22 - Phoenix Suns at Oklahoma City Thunder

A Sports Betting Preview by FirstDown

Phoenix Suns @ Oklahoma City Thunder
United States : NBA Basketball Playoffs First Round Game 2
Wednesday 22nd April 2026 - Scheduled 9:30pm EST
2:30am (British Time)

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Preview

They won the elimination Play In Tournament game to enter the First Round of the NBA Playoffs as the Number 8 Seed in the Western Conference, but most will feel the Phoenix Suns are a season ahead of schedule. The experience they will get by playing in the post-season could be invaluable going forward, but it could be a painful lesson handed out to them if the Number 1 Seed plays even close to the level they were showing in Game 1.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are the defending Champions and know how important it can be to get through the opening Round of the Playoffs without taxing key players.

Last year they swept past the Memphis Grizzlies after making an early statement in the Series with two big home wins and the 35 point blowout in Game 1 has already been an early indication of what the Thunder are trying to achieve in this Series.

None of the starters played more than 30 minutes and the Thunder will have been really pleased with the performance of Jalen Williams, who had an injury disrupted regular season. Most of the plaudits are rightly handed to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but Jalen Williams is a big support player and both were looking comfortable in the big home win in Game 1.

Oklahoma City are going to look to pick up from where they left off and all of the questions that need to be answered are aimed at the road team and big underdog.

Devin Booker had a decent Game 1 performance, but the Suns may need more from him and a much more efficient shooting day from his support players in Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green. Both of those players contributed at least 17 points, but the combined shooting on the night was 12-38 and that is not going to cut it against a very good Oklahoma City Defensive unit.

Inefficient shooting and being comfortably out-rebounded is not the formula for the Phoenix Suns, while they have to also be concerned that the Oklahoma City Thunder have room for improvement in their own three point shooting. Having a long layoff between games may have contributed to being slightly out of rhythm and it is an improvement that the Thunder can put together in Game 2 of this First Round Series and complete another big win.

The Suns do have two regular season wins over the Oklahoma City Thunder, but the three losses this season have all been by 20+ points and the home team may have enough to cover this really big spread set.

Prediction

Lay the points with the top Seed in the Western Conference.

The Pick :

Oklahoma City Thunder 128-105 Phoenix Suns

FIXED ODDS BETTING :

I'll back Oklahoma City Thunder - 17 Points at -105 with EveryGame Sports