76ers vs. Warriors Point Spread: NBA Odds, Prediction
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Jeremy Perry
The Golden State Warriors have cruised back to the top of the NBA standings on the strength of 11 straight wins. They will look to extend that impressive run against on Thursday night when they the Philadelphia 76ers in a matchup of two of the league’s best teams. It will be interesting to see if the 76ers can give them a run for their money at the Oracle Arena in what could very well be a preview of the NBA Finals. Golden State is currently listed as a 9.5-point favorite, though, so they are expected to roll.
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
As good as Philadelphia has been on its home floor so far this season, it’s worth noting that Joel Embiid and company have struggled away from home. The 76ers are just 12-13 on the road so far this season and 10-15 against the spread (ATS). They have mostly feasted on weak teams as they are 14-10 against teams with a winning record compared to 19-9 versus losing teams.
Meanwhile, the Warriors have excelled on their home floor with 18 wins in 24 home games so far this season. However, Golden State is just 23-26 against the spread this season, including a 10-13 ATS mark at Oracle Arena. More recently, though, Golden State is 7-2-1 ATS record in their last 10 games overall. They have also won 10 straight in this series, which is not a good sign for the 76ers.
Philadelphia 76ers
The fact that the 76ers have struggled away from home so far this season is particularly important considering the team they will play next. It starts with Embiid, who has been an absolute beast for the 76ers all season but is not the same player on the road. He averages 28.4 at home while shooting 51.5 percent from the field and 32.6 percent from three. That drops to 26.0, 46 percent and 29.5 percent when he’s away from home.
The good news is that Jimmy Butler is back from injury. Butler scored 20 points with six assists and five rebounds in his return against the Los Angeles Lakers. Butler, Ben Simmons, Embiid, Wilson Chandler and J.J. Redick make up the lineup the 76ers would love to start going forward if everyone is healthy. They are 15-6 when each of those guys starts.
Golden State Warriors
Curry has carried the Warriors with some outstanding production across the board throughout the course of their recent win streak. He has averaged 29.3 points, 5.4 assists and 5.1 rebounds with 5.2 three-point shots per game this season. With Curry, Durant and Thompson all healthy, teams have had a really hard time even keeping up with Golden State. And don’t forget about Draymond Green, who was a healthy scratch in the team’s last contest but he’ll be back for this showdown.
Meanwhile, DeMarcus Cousins is healthy and performing at a high level at the center position. Cousins has averaged 15.2 points and 7.0 rebounds in 21:36 per game. It’s crazy to think that a Warriors team that already had four All-Stars now got a boost from a former All-Star who will chip in another 15 points per game.
The 76ers have won six of eight but most of those wins were either at home, against weak foes or both. Their 126-110 loss on Saturday in Denver is indicative of what this game will be like.
