2026 Phoenix Suns Predictions with Best Bets and Odds to Win NBA Championship

by Spencer Toth - 10/12/2026

The Phoenix Suns built on their brief rebuild with another retooling this offseason, and the front office will be hoping they have found the right combination to contend in the Western Conference. Their strong defense carried them to a 45-37 record, but a quick sweep at the hands of the Thunder ended any postseason fantasies. Will the Suns miss the playoffs for just the second time in the last six years, or will Phoenix be able to hang around with the top dogs in the West?

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Phoenix Suns Offseason Recap

The Phoenix Suns got back to the playoffs after going 36-46 the year before, and feel as though they have a roster capable of making waves this year. Their biggest offseason move was trading for Miles Bridges, a late first-round pick and a second round pick while sending away Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale, and an unprotected 2033 first-round pick. Bridges will provide an instant upgrade for Phoenix, as he is a big scoring wing who can provide offensive support for Devin Booker. Bridges had a slightly down year with 17.1 PPG after three straight seasons with 20 or more PPG, but a reduction in minutes on a more complete Hornets roster ensured his efficiency remained high.

The Suns had to replace the deep ball shooting they lost from Allen and O’Neale, and they did exactly that with Luke Kennard coming on a two-year deal. The elite marksman has shot at least 43% from deep in seven straight seasons, and will be a key contributor off the bench for the Suns.

2026 Phoenix Suns Season Expectations

The Suns are expected to be hovering around the play-in tournament this year, but have the potential to surprise in the West. The Spurs, Thunder, Nuggets, Rockets, and Timberwolves are the clear top five, but the quality quickly drops off after that. Phoenix has an elite scorer in Devin Booker to win close games, and their elite defense will allow them to stay close with anyone in the league.

Superstars are essential for success in the NBA, and the Suns’ ceiling will heavily depend on what level of play they get from Booker. Booker has scored 22 or more PPG in his last ten NBA seasons, averaging 24.6 PPG across his 11-year stint with the Phoenix Suns. He lacks the playmaking needed to become an all-around elite point guard with 5.3 assists per game in his career, but more than makes up for it with his ability to create his own offense. Booker has no problem facing down against the best perimeter defenders in the league, as his combination of quickness and size makes him a very tough man to guard. His three-point efficiency has been in the high 30s for much of his career, and whether it was because he was the only option recently or just simple variance, it dropped down to 33% last year. Booker is a high-volume shooter capable of making big shots late in games, but unless he gets better across all four quarters, the Suns will struggle to score without other proven shooters in the lineup.

Jalen Green is another man to watch this year, as he was the primary asset received in the Kevin Durant trade. Green is an excellent defender who can also score on the other end, but injuries limited him to just 32 games last season. He is a microwave scorer who can get hot quickly, but that also leads him to take bad shots when he feels he is on his game. The 24-year-old still has a long leash with the Suns, and will be the second option behind Booker for this defense starting five. He eclipsed one steal per game for the first time in his career during his brief stint with the Suns last year, and if he can elevate his game on both ends even slightly, Green and Booker will be an underrated duo leading the Suns.

The play of Green and Booker will determine this team’s ceiling, while the play at center will determine the floor. Mark Williams is out for the majority of the season after successful shoulder surgery, which leaves Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach as the Suns’ big men. Bridges and Kris Dunn can’t really slide in from power forward either, which means Ighodaro and Maluach will have massive roles to play all year. Ighodaro will get the start for now, and is a strong ball handling big who can finish down low. He basically doesn’t shoot the three ball so will stay close to the hoop, but needs to work on his rebounding if the Suns want to survive against lengthy opposition. Phoenix has the sixth-highest offensive rebounding rate last year with the third-highest opponent turnover rate, allowing them to take 3.1 more shots per game than their opponents. Those extra possessions offset Booker’s occasional inefficiency, and the Suns will need more of the same this year to stay in contention.

2026 Phoenix Suns Schedule Breakdown

The Phoenix Suns open up the year on the road in Portland, before getting ready for a lengthy seven-game homestand beginning at the start of November. Early momentum will be key for a team without an identity like the Suns, and winnable home games against the Hornets, Clippers, and Magic could set the tone for the rest of the year. Due to the Suns’ geographical location, they have several long road trips and homestands this season. They have four separate road trips of four or more games, including a six-game swing out East at the end of March. This could result in lots of streaky stretches, which means keeping an eye on mid-season future betting odds for the Suns is essential.

2026 Phoenix Suns Betting Odds

The Suns enter the season with a win total of 39.5, which puts them seventh in the Western Conference. Their win total implies they will be fighting among the play-in tournament teams, and their -105 play-in tournament odds confirm that suspicion. The Suns are likely to finish between 7th and 10th, and have identical -115 odds to make or miss the playoffs. This means every regular season game will carry more importance for Phoenix compared to a clear top-end or bottom-end team, as it could come down to a win or two to determine their end of season standings. If the Suns do make the playoffs, they are still seen as long shots to go on a deep run with +6500 odds to win the West and +12500 odds to win the NBA championship.

In the NBA Cup, the Suns have a tricky group with the Nuggets, Rockets, Jazz, and Mavericks. They have +450 odds to finish on top, and a tournament-opening tilt in Phoenix against the Nuggets could very well determine the eventual group winner. Even if they do prevail, the Suns still have +5000 odds to lift the NBA Cup.

2026 Phoenix Suns Season Predictions and Best Bets

Losing Mark Williams for 50+ games immediately dented the Suns expectations this season, but I expect them to still make the playoffs. The middle of the Western Conference includes teams like the Mavericks, Warriors, Trail Blazers, and Jazz, and there are arguments to be made that the Suns have the highest ceiling among those teams. Their defense under Jordan Ott was excellent last year, and while they clearly prioritized offense in the offseason, a top-half defensive rating should still be enough to get the job done.

Since we are getting -115 odds on both a playoff appearance and over 39.5 wins, we have to consider which is more likely? The Suns finish 40-42 or better and miss the playoffs, cashing one bet and falling short of the other, or the Suns finish 39-43 or worse but still make the playoffs. Based on recent seasons, the 40 win campaign that sees them fall short of the playoffs is far more likely. In the last five years, 13 teams collected at least 40 wins and fell short of the playoffs, while only two teams made the playoffs with less than 40 wins. The nature of the Western Conference probably makes the distinction between the two slightly less clear, but we can’t deny the value on over 39.5 wins when the Suns are -115 to make the playoffs.

Top Pick: Phoenix Suns Over 39.5 Wins -115

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Start:	October 12, 2026 @ 11:59 PM
Expert:	Arun Shiva (Indian Cowboy)
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2026 Phoenix Suns Predictions with Best Bets and Odds to Win NBA Championship

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