The Phoenix Suns are 10 games over .500 and rather ordinary, which is an extraordinary statement.

Rockets vs Suns Odds, Spread, Moneyline, Over/Under - NBA Betting Lines 2/29

Moneyline: Houston Rockets (+300), Phoenix Suns (-350)
Spread: Rockets +8.5 (-110), Suns -8.5 (-110)
Total: Over/Under 232.5 points

This is a team that added a third superstar over the summer after billionaire mortgage financier Mat Ishbia bought the team. That third superstar, Bradley Beal, has been active for only 30 games and is questionable tonight because of a hamstring injury.

Tonight’s game against the Houston Rockets will be the first of two consecutive games between the teams. They played each other just last Friday with the Rockets prevailing 114-110 as the Suns went 0-2 on a Texas trip, also losing in Dallas.

Being the fifth-best team in the Western Conference was not what Ishbia envisioned when he traded for Kevin Durant shortly after his purchase went though. He then doubled down and got Beal from the Wizards, sacrificing every single first-round and second-round draft pick between this June and 2030. In poker, Ishbia would be described as both all-in and on tilt, and the only saving grace is that his chip stack is not exhausted.

Still, the Suns are getting beat by sub.-500 teams regularly, with last Friday’s loss to the 25-33 Rockets preceded by losses to the Hawks, Grizzlies, Blazers, Nets, and Spurs (twice). Phoenix is listed at +1400 to emerge from the West, shorter odds than every team except the Nuggets (+400) and Clippers (+500), but this is a team with zero mojo and zero momentum as the calendar turns from February to March.

Phoenix is favored by 8.5 points tonight against a young Rockets team that has won on the road only five times in 28 games. It is time for the Suns to get serious, and so we have put together a serious Same Game Parlay that derives from the assumption that Phoenix is better than its record and is ready to rise up.​

Best NBA Same Game Parlay Picks Today for Rockets vs. Suns: 4-Leg Same Game Parlay Picks (+30000)

Kevin Durant triple-double

Durant had a triple-double of 27 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds against the Rockets back on Dec. 27, and it remains his only triple-double of the season … for now. Nobody on the Rockets is experienced enough to defend Durant effectively, and in their game last week Durant had 20 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. That qualifies as a near-miss in triple-double land, and Durant was in the same place twice before against a young Utah Jazz team that also had nobody experienced enough to defend him. Durant has had only two 30-point games this month, against inexperienced Utah and Washington sides. The hope here is that he finds the open man 10 or more times to make this wager hit in the assists column.

Leg-1 SGP Pick: Kevin Durant to have a triple-double (+2000)

Fred VanVleet 20+ points

The seventh-year point guard is coming off a 2-for-11 dud against Oklahoma City in which he had as many fouls as points (5). That is not going to sit well with coach Ime Udoka, who has a way of challenging his players’ manhood when they serve up a stink bomb. VanVleet scored at least 20 in each of the two previous games, but his scoring average for the month is only 12.7 points. If this game is high scoring, he should be able to produce the way he did in Toronto, which is why Houston signed him in free agency.

Leg-2 SGP Pick: Fred VanVleet to score at least 20 points (+235).

Jabari Smith double-double 

This one is a pure parlay builder. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 draft has produced three consecutive double-doubles: 18 points and 13 rebounds and 20 points and 17 rebounds both against the Thunder, and 22 points and 16 rebounds against the Suns. He is a Houston building block and will not be able to stop Durant, but his power game down low will also overwhelm the defensively inept Durant.

Leg-3 SGP Pick: Jabari Smith to have a double-double (-130).

Devin Booker 25+ points

Booker has scored 35, 25 and 21 in the three games since the All-Star break. Again, this is an area where it all comes down to coaching, and Frank Vogel was brought in to replace Monty Williams (another Ishbia idea) because he has championship chops from having led the Lakers to a title. Motivating millionaire players is a tricky business, and the hope here is that Vogel has something in his bag of tricks tonight. Booker’s February scoring average is down 6.1 points from his January average.

Leg-4 SGP Pick: Devin Booker to score at least 25 points (-255)

Putting those four picks together produces a Same Game Parlay with odds of +30000, meaning a $10 wager would produce a $3,010 payoff. That would be one way to celebrate Leap Day, eh? Good luck!

Odds are subject to change*

Bet on NBA odds at Betway

Find season-long NBA odds on Betway. You'll find all the latest spreads, totals, money lines, and parlays. Missed tip-off? No problem, Betway also offers live betting. All your NBA betting needs are covered in our online sportsbook.