Chris Paul’s return boosts the Suns’ chances in the NBA Finals.

As Phoenix residents become wealthier, sports betting in Arizona is flourishing.

After winning two consecutive games against the Clippers at the beginning of the Western Conference Finals, the Phoenix Suns are optimistic about the return of All-NBA point guard Chris Paul to the lineup for Game 3 on Thursday in Los Angeles.

Despite his outstanding performance in the second-round sweep against the Denver Nuggets, where he averaged 25.5 points and 10.3 assists, Paul was unexpectedly placed in the NBA coronavirus health and safety protocols on June 16, just four days before Game 1 in Phoenix, ruling him out indefinitely.

Paul missed both the Suns’ 120-114 win and the thrilling Game 2 victory against the Clippers, who were missing their All-Star Kawhi Leonard.

The Phoenix Suns’ chances of winning the 2021 NBA championship have increased to +110 at DraftKings sportsbook, following their 2-0 lead and the return of their Hall of Fame point guard. This puts them on par with the Milwaukee Bucks in the East. Despite being favored in the West, the Clippers are lagging behind with odds of +1000. Phoenix is determined to claim their first-ever franchise championship.

According to BetMGM, the Suns are heavily favored at -1000 to win the Western Conference finals.

The suns are on a historic winning streak.

The Suns’ loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on May 27 appeared to signal the beginning of their decline. Heading into Game 4 at Staples Center, they trailed the defending champions 2-1.

Paul’s shoulder injury limited him to just seven points and six assists in 28 subpar minutes, while the Lakers were back to full strength and in good health.

The momentum of Game 4 shifted when Anthony Davis injured his groin in the first half, allowing the Suns to dominate in the second half and secure a 100-92 win.

The Suns have been on a roll since their win on May 30, securing nine straight victories in the playoffs. This impressive streak ranks as the 10th longest in NBA history. The team has been dominant, winning by an average margin of 13.4 points, with five of those wins coming by double digits.

Furthermore, the Suns have an outstanding 8-1 record against the spread in those games, with their only failure to cover occurring when Deandre Ayton made a buzzer-beating dunk during Tuesday’s game.

The wins, which also included victories against the defending champion Lakers (three wins), the Nikola Jokic-led Nuggets (four wins), and a Clippers team without Paul George (two wins).

The Suns’ chances of winning the title keep getting better.

The Suns are gaining momentum, accumulating victories, and progressing in the playoffs, leading to an increase in their chances of winning the title.

Paul’s strong performance in Game 4, along with the Lakers’ strong start in Round 1, caused the Suns’ chances of winning the championship to jump to +6000 on DraftKings. However, after Davis was injured, their odds dropped to +1600. After defeating the Lakers in six games, their odds fell to +650, making them the third favorite in the East behind the Nets and Bucks, and behind the Jazz in the West.

Phoenix’s championship odds took a hit to +375 after sweeping the Nuggets, placing them behind the high-scoring Brooklyn Nets. However, when the Nets were tied 2-2 with the Bucks in the second round and Milwaukee ended up winning Games 6 and 7, Phoenix’s chances improved slightly to +275.

Although there was some fluctuation in the Suns’ title odds due to the news of Paul entering protocol, the impact was not major because the Clippers were already without Leonard and Paul’s return was anticipated shortly.

They are only two wins shy of reaching their first Finals since 1993, and their odds are expected to increase with every win they secure.