Recent Play Details

3% Take Philadelphia (#531)

I found a great quote from Joel Embiid prior to this road trip (of course I can’t find it now as I’m trying to write-up the game), talking about how there was a real sense of urgency for the 76ers RIGHT NOW as they’re in the midst of a ‘seven road games in two weeks with a home game in between’ span.  Philly is still very live to earn the #1 seed in the East.  They’re playing focused basketball, with one positive quote after the next coming out of this locker room during their current seven game winning streak (5-2 ATS).  They won by 39 in Charlotte last night; as fresh as a team can be for the second night of back-2-backs. 

Indiana is coming off an outright upset win at Milwaukee in which they shot 56% from the floor, hit 22-46 from three point range and only committed eight turnovers.  Head coach Rick Carlisle: “That was a really special second half….this was our franchise’s first ever win in this building so to have an opportunity to break through with some of our younger players was special. It was a great win.”  I’ve been handicapping the NBA long enough to know that we shouldn’t expect anything close to that level of performance from the Pacers tonight without point guard Tyrese Halliburton on the floor again here, and missing key role players Benedict Mathurin and Chris Duarte. 

The Pacers got 39 from Halliburton and 18 more from Mathurin and Duarte when these two teams met less than two weeks ago.  Indiana shot 59% from the floor in that game, nailed 15 three pointers and only committed nine turnovers.  They still lost, unable to get stops against the Sixers.  I don’t expect Indiana to shoot that well or play that well without Halliburton and company tonight in a game that could get ugly for the home team. Take the 76ers

Line Parameter: 3% at -7 or lower, 2% at -7.5 or higher.