The oddsmakers are not all that in love with Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Jimmy Butler of the Philadelphia 76ers tonight in San Antonio, even with the Spurs coming off a loss to the lowly Chicago Bulls.
The fourth-best team in the East (20-11) is only 6-8 on the road, and mystery still surrounds the club over the ultimate fate of Markelle Fultz.
No such drama is taking place in San Antonio, where the chances of this season being a memorable one were shot down the moment Dejounte Murray went down in the preseason with a knee injury. There has been talk of the pros and cons of trading for John Wall, but for now all is quiet down the road from The Alamo.
So why the ‘dog status for the Sixers?
Well, for one thing they are playing the second night of a back-to-back set, having defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday behind a triple-double (22-14-11) from Ben Simmons. Philly is 5-9 against the spread on the road, whereas San Antonio is 10-6 ATS at home.
So even though the oddsmakers have numbers on their side here, sometimes you’ve got to go with your gut. Jimmy Butler will be back on the court tonight, and the Sixers at full strength (insert your own Fultz joke) seem like the play. Take the Sixers.
A few other notes from around the NBA on what should be a busy and entertaining Monday night:
The Suns are in New York on a road trip that will keep them away from their homes and families all the way through Christmas. At shootaround this morning, certain members of the team who shall remain nameless voiced disgust that management did not exercise a veto on this matter when the preliminary schedule was released (the Suns also were on the road for Thanksgiving).
The Suns’ two newest players will not be in uniform, as Austin Rivers and Kelly Oubre will be joining the team in Boston.
The Knicks are favored by a point, and the over/under is 223.5. Advice: Stay away.
The Warriors are giving 10.5 points at home to the Grizzlies, who are still a bit shellshocked from the aborted three-team trade that would have sent MarShon Brooks or Dillon Brooks to the Phoenix Suns. (miscommunication blame on that one falls on Ernie Grunfeld of Washington.)
The over/under 210.5, which is curious given that Golden State’s games typically end up around 227 points: Advice: Take the over. Stay away from the spread, because Marc Gasol is going to give the Warriors fits.
The over/under on points for Kevin Durant and Steph Curry is 26.5 for both, while Gasol’s over/under is 16.5.
Advice: Take the over on Gasol.
Sports Betting Tips With Chris Sheridan Episode 30: The Post-Valanciunas Raptors
