Game: Philadelphia 76ers at Atlanta Hawks
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Odds: 76ers +1.5, Hawks -1.5
Total: 213.5
The Philadelphia 76ers have had their issues early in the 2021-22 season. They have had to play through injuries. They just got Joel Embiid back, but they went 1-2 in his three games since returning. Embiid shot just 7-for-33 in the Sixers last two games. It’s been a common theme and now the Sixers have just three wins in their last 12 games. Tonight, they’ll face an Atlanta Hawks team that has won eight of its last nine games.
The Hawks lost six straight games in November but then turned that around with a seven-game winning streak. The only loss in their last nine games was to New York on Nov. 27. The Hawks came right back though on Wednesday night with a 114-111 win over Indianapolis. Hawks star Trae Young poured in 33 points and dished out 10 assists to lead Atlanta. It was the fifth straight game in which Young scored at least 30 points.
Beating Atlanta at home will be a tall task for Philadelphia. The Hawks are almost a different team when at the State Farm Arena where they are 8-2 so far this season. They have beaten their last six straight Eastern Conference opponents at home and they are 5-1 ATS in those games.
The 76ers have lost three of their last four, including Wednesday night’s 88-87 loss to Boston. The Sixers also suffered a one-point loss to Minnesota, 121-120, on Nov. 27. That was the game in which Embiid returned to the Philadelphia lineup. He scored 42 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, but then struggled in the Sixers’ last two games.
The two teams have played once this season. Back on Oct. 30, Philadelphia blew out Atlanta 122-94 as six Sixers scored in double figures. Tobias Harris had 22 points and Embiid had 19. Young shot just 5-of-16 and had 13 points and 10 assists. It’s safe to stay that both teams are on different paths than they were at the end of October.
Each of the last three games played between the Sixers and Hawks has gone Under the posted total. Those three games averaged a combined 206 points. Both Philadelphia and Atlanta trend toward the Under. The total has gone Under in four of the last five games for both the Sixers and the Hawks.
Philadelphia plays at the slowest pace in the NBA. The Sixers average 96.3 possessions per game. Atlanta averages 98.3. Both teams are also playing well on the defensive end of the floor. Over their last three games, Atlanta is giving up 103.3 points per game and Philly is allowing 101.7. It’s also worth noting that in the 76ers’ last six away games, the Under cashed a winning ticket in five of those.
Bogan Bogdanovic will miss tonight’s game for Atlanta. Cam Reddish, who scored 16 points in the first game against the Sixers this year, is listed as questionable.