The 76ers travel to face the Nets in first place and the Suns host the Wizards on Thursday’s NBA SO / UP schedule.
SI host Robin Lundberg, this week’s guest coach, had a successful Tuesday night picking five out of six games correctly. Let’s keep it up Thursday night. Here are the selections.
Season record: 44-40
Guest pickers: 27-51
Check the latest NBA odds on SI Sportsbook
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Hour: 7:30 pm ET, NBA TV
Smeared: 76ers +1.5 (-110) | Networks -1.5 (-110)
Money line: 76ers (+100) | Networks (-118)
Total: Less than 216.5 (-110) | Over 216.5 (-110)
Injuries: Nets G James Harden: Out; Nets F Bruce Brown – Out; Nets G DeAndre ‘Bembry: Out; 76ers G Furkan Korkmaz – Out; 76ers F Georges Niang: Out
The 76ers lost at home to the Heat on Wednesday, their second straight loss. Now they travel north to Brooklyn to face the Nets, who beat the 76ers in Philadelphia earlier in the year. Philadelphia is 1-2 on the second night in a row this season.
Philadelphia ranks seventh in the Eastern Conference in large part because of its 3-8 record without All-NBA center Joel Embiid. The 76ers’ offensive and defensive scoring ranges are no better than one would expect from a team hovering around .500. Offense is ranked 24th (105.6 points per game) and defense is 12th (106.4 points per game).
The Nets, with few people, still found a way to win Tuesday night against the Raptors. With only eight players available due to COVID-19 protocols, Brooklyn scored an overtime victory behind Kevin Durant, who posted a 34-point triple-double just two days after scoring 51 points, the season-high. The Nets have won three in a row.
Brooklyn ranks 10th in the NBA in scoring (110.1 points per game). Durant is responsible for a large part of that, as he leads the league with 29.6 points per game. The Nets will miss James Harden’s 20.8 points per game and 9.6 assists per game against Philadelphia. Brooklyn is above the league average in points allowed (106.6 PPG) and has the sixth-best point differential (+3.5).
Kyle Wood bets:
Propagation selection: Networks -1.5
Choosing between the relentlessly 76ers and the Nets amid a COVID-19 crisis is tough. Neither team is in great shape and both are underperforming against the Spread: Brooklyn is 11-16-1 and Philadelphia is 13-16. So I’m just going to trust Durant. He did it against the Raptors on Tuesday with an assist from Patty Mills. Philadelphia is a better team than Toronto and Embiid will probably get away with it in the paint, but I still stick with the Nets. This game will be closed, which is all the more reason to trust Durant and the Nets on the clutch.
Over / Under Selection: Under 216.5
The 76ers struggle to score even 100 points, doing so five times in their last 10 games. The Nets are the much more capable team on offense, but I can’t imagine they will get 64 points from the Durant and Mills combo once again to push them to 130. This will be a tight, low-scoring affair.
Object: Kevin Durant over 33.5 points
I’m picking the Nets on Durant’s shoulders, so I can’t be against him having a great game. This is a high line that Durant has broken in his last two games. However, it remained below 33.5 points in the previous five games. By Durant’s standards, he had a bad shooting night on his way to 29 points on 20 shots the last time these teams played. He will shoot and score more Thursday night.
Betting from guest selector Robin Lundberg:
Spread Pick: 76ers +1.5
The Sixers are coming off a disappointing loss to the Heat on Wednesday, while the Nets just came off an inspiring win over the Raptors on Tuesday. However, given that Brooklyn is extremely understaffed, it’s probably not fair to expect them to repeat what they were able to do against the Raptors. He wouldn’t rule out Kevin Durant leading the Nets again, but he played strong minutes against Toronto after being questionable going into the game. So, I’ll take Philadelphia considering the circumstances and assuming Joel Embiid is in the lineup.
Over / Under Selection: Under 216.5
The same logic I used for the selection I will use to take the bass on this number. The Nets have been an impressive defensive team, but without James Harden, Joe Harris and, of course, Kyrie Irving, they are actually a limited offensive team. So, I don’t see that the point total is high on this one.
Target: Patty Mills Over 22.5 points plus rebounds and assists
The Nets have needed everything they have gotten from Patty Mills all season and he has consistently delivered. They’ll need you to get the scoring slack back again, so you can see you get close to that total in points only. So, I’ll take it accumulating enough in the other statistical categories to go over.
Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Hour: 9 pm ET
Spread: Wizards +8.5 (+100) | Suns -8.5 (-118)
Money line: Wizards (+350) | Suns (-450)
Total: Less than 213.5 (-110) | Over 213.5 (-110)
Injuries: Suns G Devin Booker: Out; Wizards F Rui Hachimura – Out; Wizards G Spencer Dinwiddie: Day by Day
Washington is in free fall. The team is 3-7 in its last 10 and enters a three-game losing streak Thursday night that could well be a seven-game losing streak were it not for an overtime win against the Pistons. The Wizards’ last five opponents scored 113 points or more and Washington doesn’t have the firepower to keep up.
The Wizards are average in defense, ranking 17th in scoring defense (108 points per game), but far worse in offense. The team is 23rd in scoring (105.7 points per game). Bradley Beal leads the Wizards with 22.7 PPG, but no other player averages more than 15 PPG.
Phoenix’s two losses since October have come in the past two weeks and against quality opponents (road losses to the Warriors and Clippers). The Suns beat Portland in overtime Tuesday night behind great games by Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton. Those two have helped fill the void on offense with Devin Booker still out of the game. Paul, who leads the NBA in assists, powers the Suns’ elite offense. As a result, Phoenix has some of the highest field goal and 3-point shooting percentages in the league.
Given its success, it’s no wonder Phoenix is in the top eight in both scoring defense (104.8 points per game) and team scoring average (110.8 points per game).
Kyle Wood bets:
Spread Selection: Suns -8.5
Phoenix is 12-2 at home and Washington is not going to end its downward spiral on the road against the team with the second-best record in the NBA. I am completely convinced that the Suns will win and cover this considerable gap. Since the Wizards aren’t a monster on offense, Phoenix won’t need to press 120 points to cover. They can present an average offensive performance by their standards and still win by 10 or more.
Over / Under Selection: Under 213.5
I see the Suns smothering the Wizards both in the paint with Ayton and on the wings with Mikal Bridges and Jae Crowder. Phoenix hasn’t been scoring monster final scores in recent weeks since its winning streak ended. I’m not worried about the Suns putting up 125 points in Washington and having to keep the Wizards well below 100 points for this to become effective. I can see Phoenix winning comfortable in the 110-100 range.
Object: DeAndre Ayton over 19.5 points
This total is a bit high considering Ayton is averaging 16.9 PPG. Still, he’s coming off 28 points, the season high, and he’s shooting more shots and hitting the free throw line more often this month. Those are all good signs for him to break out of 20 points. The opportunity for second-chance points should be there against the Wizards, a below-average rebounding team, and Paul does well to groom his big man with easy looks.
Betting from guest selector Robin Lundberg:
Spread Selection: Suns -8.5
Not only are the Wizards in a row, their season has been off track. After a surprising start, Washington has lost three in a row and six of seven. Meanwhile, the Suns are at home and will come with more rest and have a net 8.2 rating in their own building. Give me the Suns to cover this number.
Over / Under Selection: Over 213.5
The Wizards have been a lousy defensive team as of late, allowing more than 118 points per 100 possessions in the last 10. While the Suns have been very successful on the defensive end, I imagine they’ll have enough firepower to hit the ball. final with Deandre Ayton returns to the lineup and just lost 28 points.
Object: Deandre Ayton over 19.5 points
I just mentioned Ayton’s point total in the last outing and will be in favor of him reviewing his total again as Chris Paul will likely continue to set him up with the Suns needing their offense on the inside in the absence of Devin Booker’s scoring hit. .
DFS Value Reproductions
(Prices based on main board at 7 pm)
PG / SG Tyrese Maxey, 76ers (DF: $ 6,400 | DK: $ 6,900)
SG / SF Eric Gordon, Rockets (DF: $ 5,700 | $ 5,600)
SF Cam Johnson, Suns (DF: $ 5,400 | $ 5,100)
C / PF Myles Turner, Pacers (DF: $ 6,400 | $ 6,700)
C Deandre Ayton, Soles (DF: $ 8,000 | $ 8,800)
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Eddie is an Australian news reporter with over 9 years in the industry and has published on Forbes and tech crunch.