Hornets vs Suns Odds, Preview & Picks: A Case for the Under in Phoenix
Written by: Danny Burke
Last Update: Sun Mar 08, 2026, 4:44 pm ET
Read Time: 5 minutes
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If you manage to stay up until 10:00 p.m. ET on this Sunday evening, there's a solid NBA matchup awaiting between the Charlotte Hornets and Phoenix Suns.
Down in the desert, Devin Booker and the seventh-seeded Suns host LaMelo Ball and the No. 10-seeded Hornets. Charlotte has won six of its last seven games, though it's coming off a loss to Miami on Friday.
Can the Hornets bounce back into the win column, or are the Suns in position to pull off the outright win as a home underdog? I'll break it all down below with my Hornets vs Suns odds, preview and picks.
For additional information on picks, props, moneylines, and more on today's slate, take a look at our NBA Picks Page or our NBA Odds Page.
Matchup Information
Location: Mortgage Matchup Center, Phoenix, AZ
Date: Sunday, March 8, 2026
Tipoff: 10:00 PM ET
Hornets vs Suns Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte Hornets | -4.5 (-113) | -193 | Over 218.5 (-110) |
| Phoenix Suns | +4.5 (-107) | +157 | Under 218.5 (-110) |
Hornets vs Suns Preview
On the injury front, Phoenix will still be missing Dillon Brooks, Mark Williams and Jordan Goodwin. As for the visitors, the only absence is forward Tidjane Salaun.
Since their road win in Orlando on Jan. 22, the Charlotte Hornets have been one of the league's hottest teams, going 16-4 over that 20-game stretch. They had a six-game winning streak come to an end Friday night, however, as they fell at home to the Miami Heat, 128-120.
Now they head to the desert as 4.5-point favorites against a Suns team that has struggled to find its rhythm. Granted, Phoenix has been dealing with a wave of injuries, but it did get its star guard Devin Booker back at the beginning of March.
Booker's production has steadily increased with each outing, logging incremental bumps in both minutes and scoring totals. The Suns are 2-1 since his return to the lineup, and when Booker is on the floor he brings a +7.9 efficiency differential to Phoenix.
The Suns will need every bit of that efficiency because since Jan. 22, the Hornets rank second in efficiency differential across the entire league. They sit first in offensive points per possession and sixth defensively during that stretch.
Over the same span, the Suns rank 25th in offensive points per possession and 16th on defense.
Charlotte has also leaned heavily on the three-point shot during this run, taking 48% of its attempts from beyond the arc – the second-highest rate in the NBA. The Hornets distribute the rest of their looks fairly evenly between mid-range and shots at the rim, helping them rank fourth in offensive effective field goal percentage.
Meanwhile, Phoenix ranks 29th in offensive eFG% and takes 44.2% of its shots from three-point range, the fourth-highest mark in the league. The Suns rarely attack the rim, ranking dead last in attempts near the basket, but they do sit ninth in mid-range shot attempts (33.1%).
Defensively, Charlotte is well equipped to counter that approach, ranking sixth in opponent three-point field goal percentage and fourth against mid-range attempts. The Suns also defend the perimeter well, ranking third in opponent three-point percentage, but they struggle badly at the rim, allowing a league-worst 74.8% shooting inside.
Again, all of these metrics date back to Jan. 22.
Hornets vs Suns Best Bets
- Hornets / Suns Under 219 (-110)
- Devin Booker Under 5.5 Assists (-114)
Seeing how effective both teams have been defending the three-point line during that stretch gave me conviction in backing the under. Both clubs not only defend the perimeter well, but they also play at a slower pace. The Hornets and Suns both rank 22nd or lower in pace, which generally leads toward a lower-scoring environment.
This matchup should also be tightly contested. The Suns still view themselves as a strong team, and with Phoenix listed as a home underdog, even with Devin Booker back in the lineup, there should be some added motivation to show up on both ends of the floor. That could lead to a more physical, high-intensity game where easy buckets are hard to come by.
We've already seen the market move slightly toward the under, and I couldn't agree more. The best number currently available is 219 at -110, and that's the total I'll be backing for this matchup.
Additionally, I've got a player prop in this game that I already locked in and discussed earlier today in my Best NBA Player Props article.
Devin Booker Under 5.5 Assists (-114)
Since returning from injury, Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker has played three games in March. He's logged 31 or more minutes in each contest while shooting 41% from the floor, averaging 25.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and four assists per game.
The notable shift has been his assist production, which has dipped through this three-game sample compared to his season-long average of six assists per game. I'm not expecting that number to climb back toward his average tonight.
The Suns face the Charlotte Hornets, a team that has been slowly improving and ranks in the top half of the league in opponent assists allowed per game. After a 32-point performance Friday night, Booker should continue looking for his own shot and take on more of a scoring role rather than facilitating.
Best Bets:
- Hornets / Suns Under 219 (-110)
- Devin Booker Under 5.5 Assists (-114)
NBA Record: 142-111-1 (+19.08 units)
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Danny Burke is a betting analyst with a decade of sports media experience. He got his start at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, sharing picks on the local ESPN affiliate. After college, he hosted shows for VSiN in Las Vegas before returning to Chicago to launch 'Rush Hour', the first daily sports betting show from an Illinois casino. He also co-hosted 'Props and Locks' on Fox32’s Bears pregame show and ran 'Bet On, Chicago' on WLS-AM 890.
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