The Philadelphia 76ers host the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, January 11, 2019 at the Well Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
The Sixers are coming off a surprise loss to the Washington Wizards on Wednesday while the Hawks blew a 19 points lead and lost by 16 points to the Brooklyn Nets also on Wednesday.
Year two of the Hawks rebuild has been as bad as year one. After 10 consecutive playoff appearances which included a trip to the Conference Finals in 2015, the Atlanta Hawks started a rebuild last season and finished with a 24-58 record. This year, the Hawks are 12-29 and are probably going to end up getting a high lottery pick again. But frustrating as losing seems, Atlanta can claim moral victories with the performances of their young players notably John Collins and Trae Young who are the future of the franchise.
John Collins leads the Hawks with 18.8 points and 10.6 rebounds this season. Collins already has 11 20 points and 10 rebounds games this season. Rookie Trae Young leads Atlanta with 7.3 assists per game and is also scoring 15.5 points per game for the Hawks. Veteran guard Jeremy Lin is having a good season with 11.0 points and 3.5 assists per game.
The Hawks rank 20th in scoring at 108.7 points per game. Atlanta is also 9th in assists at 25.4 dimes per contest. They are also ranked 13th in rebounding at 45.5 rebounds per game and at #30, the Atlanta Hawks are dead-last in scoring defense at 117.2 points per game allowed.
The Sixers meanwhile have continued to build on last season’s success which saw them reach the Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics. Phill though has been inconsistent this season losing a handful of games to inferior teams. Wednesday was an example because the Sixers lost to the Washington Wizards by 17 points. Going home on Friday gives them the chance to regroup, correct their mistakes and return to their winning ways.
Joel Embiid leads the Sixers with 26.9 points, 13.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game. Jimmy Butler is also contributing 18.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game while last year’s Rookie of the Year Ben Simmons is averaging a near triple double with 16.6 points, 9.1 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game.
Philadelphia is the 6th best scoring team in the league at 114.6 points per game. They are also ranked 3rd in assists at 27.0 dimes per contest and 4th off the glass with 47.5 rebounds per games. The Sixers are 22nd in scoring defense at 112.5 points per game allowed this season.
Atlanta is 1-5 SU in their last six games played. The Hawks are 0-5 SU in their last five road games. Philadelphia is 4-1 SU in their last five games. The Sixers are 4-0 SU in their last four home games played. Head to head, the Hawks are 6-4 SU in their last 10 games against the Sixers.
Atlanta has struggled mightily this season, especially on the road. The team is 5-19 SU away from home this season and 7-10 SU at home. Despite their woes, the Hawks aren’t the worst team in the league right now and that should be some moral victory for them. Likewise, this season has brought bright spots like John Collins and Trae Young but this isn’t about moral victories.
The Sixers has five of six games before losing to the Wizards last Wednesday. Philly is 27-15 on the season and is considered one of the favorites to win the East. They have been inconsistent this season but are still the #4 team in the East. For sure, the sour taste of Wednesday’s loss to the Wizards is still in the Sixers’ mouths. Philly wants a bounce back win right away and Atlanta is but the prey.
The Sixers already beat Atlanta 113-92 last October 29 and I can’t find a reason why this one should end differently. Philadelphia had won seven of nine before losing to the Wizards last Wednesday. The 76ers have not been consistent this season but they’re playing at home where they are 18-3 against a team with only five road wins so far this season. We’re picking the Philadelphia 76ers to beat the Atlanta Hawks on 1/11/19.
The Hawks are 5-5 ATS in their last 10 games played. Atlanta is 2-5 ATS in their last seven road games. The Sixers are 6-4 ATS in their last 10 games played and 3-1 ATS in their last four home games played. Head to head, the Hawks are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 meetings against the 76ers and also 7-3 ATS in their last 10 road games against Philadelphia.
Atlanta is 5-11 ATS in their last 16 games after a loss and 5-16 ATS in their last 21 Friday games. The Hawks are also just 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games against Atlantic Division opponents. The Sixers are 4-1 ATS in their last five games against teams whose winning percentages are below .400 and 7-3 ATS in their last 10 home games. Philly has also bounced back well from double digit losses, going 6-0 ATS in their last six games after a loss of 10 or more points. The home team is also 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings between these two teams. Three out of the Hawks’ last four losses have been by at least 16 points so they could end up getting blown out here. Prediction: 76ers -12.5
The Under is 6-4 in Atlanta’s last 10 games played. The total has gone over in 4 out of the last 7 road games played by the Hawks. The over is 6-4 in Philadelphia’s last 10 games played. The total has gone over in three out of the last four home games played by the Sixers.
The total has gone over in the last six games of Philadelphia against Eastern Conference teams. The Sixers are the 6th best scoring team in the league while the Hawks allow the most points per game of any team in the league right now. Philly has scored 132 points in two of their last four games. I think the Sixers will pound the Hawks and score tons of points here. Prediction: Over 231.5
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