Philadelphia 76ers vs Phoenix Suns betting tips and predictions for Monday’s NBA game on NBA TV. In only their 3rd road game of the season the Phoenix Suns head to Philadelphia to take on the James Harden-less 76ers. Read on for all our free predictions and betting tips.
Philadelphia 76ers
It’s not looking pretty if you are a 76ers fan right now. The team is only 4-6 to start the season and at home they’ve won just once in 5 games, add to that an injury to James Harden which will keep him out for at least a month, the 76ers are in a bad spot right now. Joel Embiid has missed the last two games with an illness, his status is still up in the air for tonight’s game against Phoenix.
Knowing what type of player Embiid is, I am willing to bet he shows up and plays tonight just to match-up with Deandre Ayton and prove who is still the number one center in the NBA. Philly is just 3-7 ATS in their last 10 vs Western Conference opponents, against the Suns they’ve won just 3 times in the last 10 meetings, so it’ll be anything but easy tonight.
Phoenix Suns
Phoenix is coming off a back-to-back against the Portland Trail Blazers where they suffered their first home loss of the season. They did bounce back the next night though with a 20-point win, holding the Blazers to just 82 points. Every single Suns player who entered the game scored at least one basket, led by Devin Booker who had 24 on the night. Even though they are at 7-2 and first in the West, Suns fans have been worried by the offensive output of their point guard Chris Paul.
He is averaging double-digit assists, but his scoring has fallen off a cliff compared to previous years, father time might be finally catching up to him. But, as long as the Suns are winning, I’m sure CP3 won’t mind the dip in his scoring. The Suns come into tonight’s game riding a 6-game win streak vs Philly, they’ve won 15 of 18 games vs Eastern conference opponents.
With all the injuries, it’s hard to consider backing the 76ers here, even if they are playing at home. Suns have won the last 3 meetings at Wells Fargo Center by 5, 3 and 13 points. It could be a close one tonight, but I have the Suns coming out on top.
Philadelphia 76ers vs Phoenix Suns Predictions & Odds
Where tonight’s game goes is impacted on Joel Embiid’s status. If he doesn’t play, the Sixers have no other option but to try and speed things up here which would lead to an increase in scoring. On the other hand if he plays, which is a more likely scenario in my opinion, then the tempo of the game would go at a much more moderate pace. The Suns and Sixers rank 26th and 29th in pace of play averaging 97 and 96 possessions per game respectively.
The 3 most recent meetings are averaging 223.2 points per game, which is slightly above tonight’s projected total. However, with the likes of James Harden, Cameron Johnson, Jae Crowder and Cameron Payne all potentially missing the game, a lot of points will be left on the table tonight. Phoenix is just coming off back-to-back games in which they held the Blazers to 108 and 82 points, while the 76ers have really struggled scoring the ball in their last two. I’m thinking backing the under is the way to go in tonight’s game.
