The Phoenix Suns get set to tangle up against the Utah Jazz on Thursday night inside the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. They tip it off at 9:00 pm in a very interesting battle on the hardwood. 

Bookmaker has installed the Suns as a 7.5 point favorite. 

The Suns (30-21) have had a solid season but they know they need to make a very deep run into the playoffs to justify the moves they have made over the years. They have a very deep and talented team, but they still have not been able to put everything together. 

They have been able to manage four out of five wins overall to push their record to nine games over .500 on the season. That was a solid response to snapping a two-game slide. 

They also know that their window to win a title or at least make a deep run into the Western Conference is fading and closing. They still believe they can get the most out of veteran power forward Kevin Durant, who is still putting up some big numbers. He is averaging around a team-high 28 points per game to go along with just under seven rebounds per contest.

Devin Booker is contributing 27 a game to help take the load off of Durant, but the issue with the Suns has been their poor shooting at times from the floor and their inability to guard the opposition's perimeter. They are giving up around 115 points a night and that is middle of the pack, but they have had some major fourth-quarter breakdowns that have contributed to some bad losses. 

The Jazz (26-26) are a very talented team and they have a ton of athleticism on the floor at all times. They also have some depth coming off the bench and a ton of athleticism as well. They know how to push the pace and get up and down the floor quickly, which makes them a very dangerous team. They recently snapped a three-game losing streak by winning two straight games and will look to make it three in a row with a win over the Suns. 

On offense, they are led by power forward Lauri Markkanen, who is averaging around 23 a game this season and he is also contributing around 8.6 rebounds per contest for Utah, which is scoring 119 a night while allowing just over 114.

They do not have a ton of wiggle room in that regard and that is why they sit at .500 on the season. They were expected to compete in the Northwest Division but are 9 1/2 games behind the front-running Oklahoma City Thunder who have put forth a great season already. 

This season the Jazz have connected on 55% from the field and 35% from beyond the arc.

The Suns are 4-1 in their last five games and 4-1 in their last five games against the number. They are also 13-12 in their road games against the number and the totals have gone over in two out of their last five games and 14 out of their last 26 games at home. The Jazz are 2-3 in their last five games and 2-3 in their last five games against the spread. They are also 13-15 in their road games against the number and the totals have gone over in three out of their last five games.