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The Phoenix Suns will travel to take on the Philadelphia 76ers in a Monday night NBA matchup at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NBA odds series, which includes a Suns-76ers prediction and pick, laid out below.
Phoenix has surged to a 7-2 record, sitting in first place in the Western Conference. This hot start is coming on the heels of a dominant 64-18 season, where the Suns lost in the Western Conference Semifinals in shocking fashion. Phoenix just split two home games against the Portland Trail Blazers, first losing on a Jerami Grant buzzer-beater and then winning last time out.
Philadelphia fans need something to cheer for after a World Series loss, and the 76ers being 4-6 is not going to cut it. The team finds itself in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, losing their last two games. Now, star James Harden is set to miss about a month, while Joel Embiid continues to deal with an illness. However, there's some good news on that front.
Here are the Suns-76ers NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Suns-76ers Odds
Phoenix Suns: -2.5 (-110)
Philadelphia 76ers: +2.5 (-110)
Over: 215 (-110)
Under: 215 (-110
Why The Suns Could Cover The Spread
Devin Booker has dominated this season, averaging 27.0 points and 5.1 assists. Booker has shot 48.3 percent from the field, including 35.1 percent from behind the 3-point line. Obviously, this is a tiny sample size, but this would be Booker's highest scoring output across an entire season.
Chris Paul has turned back the clock, averaging a double-double, with 10.3 points and 10.2 assists per game. Even at 37, Paul is still playing 32.0 minutes per game, starting all nine games. Deandre Ayton is a force in the paint, leading the team with 7.9 rebounds per game, including 2.3 offensive rebounds, adding 15.4 points per game. Mikal Bridges leads the team with an impressive 60.2 shooting percentage, putting up 14.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.
Phoenix ranks third in assists per game at 28.6 and fifth in blocks at 6.0 per game. Offensively, Phoenix is ranked 11th in the league with 115.1 points per game. Defense has been the story for Phoenix, ranking third in the league by allowing just 103.9 points per game.
Why The 76ers Could Cover The Spread
Joel Embiid leads the team with 27.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game, but he has been out recently with an illness. The good news is there's a decent chance he returns to the lineup Monday after returning to practice. That would be a massive boost to the Sixers with James Harden out.
Before the injury, Harden was averaging 22.0 points and 10.0 assists per game. Tyrese Maxey is second on the team with 24.9 points and 3.8 assists per game. Maxey is shooting 48.9 percent from the field, including an impressive 44.0 percent from behind the arc. Tobias Harris is the fourth Sixer to average double-digit points, with 14.4 points per game while also pulling down 6.5 rebounds per game, which ranks third on the team. Despite averaging just 7.8 points per game, Georges Niang has been reliable from behind the 3-point line, hitting triples at a 45.5 percent clip.
Philadelphia has averaged 109.3 points per game, which ranks 23rd in the league. The defense has been better, ranking ninth in the league with 109.2 points allowed per game. Rebounding has been an issue, as the team ranks dead last in the league in rebounds per game. Losing Harden will only make that number worse.
Final Suns-76ers Prediction & Pick
Philadelphia is really going to miss Harden, and Embiid's questionable status makes it hard to go with the Sixers in this one. Ride with the visitors.
Final Suns-76ers Prediction & Pick: Phoenix -2.5 (-110), over 215 (-110)
