Is Deandre Ayton Playing Tonight? (Latest Injury Updates and News for Hornets vs. Suns on Jan. 24)

Is Deandre Ayton Playing Tonight? (Latest Injury Updates and News for Hornets vs. Suns on Jan. 24)

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The Phoenix Suns will look to extend their winning streak to four games and get above .500 on Tuesday when they host the lowly Charlotte Hornets. The Suns have managed to heat up without star big man Deandre Ayton, who's missed their last two games with a non-Covid illness.

Deandre Ayton Injury Update (1/24/2023)

Unfortunately for Phoenix, Ayton is still not ready to return and has already been ruled out for Tuesday's contest.

This is disappointing news for the Suns, as Ayton will sit for the fifth time in their last eight games. Fortunately for them, they have an easy home matchup against one of the worst teams in the NBA, as Charlotte has the third-worst record in the league at 13-35.

With a tougher matchup against the Dallas Mavericks looming later this week, there's no need to rush Ayton back just yet. Phoenix hopes that with two more days of rest, Ayton might be ready to return for Thursday's pivotal Western Conference Clash.

Deandre Ayton Fantasy Outlook and Prop Bets Today

With Ayton already ruled out, he doesn't have any props listed on FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA odds. The Suns are still comfortably favored at home, however, with FanDuel listing them as 6.5-point favorites on the spread and -270 favorites on the moneyline. Considering how well Phoenix has played lately without Ayton, both bets are worthwhile.

One player potentially worth targeting in the props and DFS markets is Bismack Biyombo, who's been filling in at center for Ayton. While he fouled out of his most recent game on Sunday, Biyombo posted a huge double-double in Ayton's absence on Saturday with 12 points and 16 rebounds -- both season-highs -- in 30 minutes of action. With Ayton sidelined again, the 30-year-old could be poised for a big game against his former team and is a terrific value play on FanDuel DFS at $4,600.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.