The Sixers got their closer back as Jimmy Butler returned from a groin injury which sidelined him during the Sixers’ games against the Nets and Pacers, both of which they lost at home. On Sunday, Butler scored 19 points as the Sixers drubbed the hapless Cleveland Cavaliers 128-105.
Joel Embiid leads the Sixers with 27.0 points, 13.6 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game. Last year’s Rookie of the Year winner Ben Simmons is averaging 15.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and a team-best 7.7 assists while the recently acquired Jimmy Butler is producing 19.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game for the Sixers.
Philadelphia ranks 7th in the entire league in team scoring at 113.8 points per game. The Sixers also rank 5th in assists at 26.3 dimes per contest. They are also among the elites in rebounding at #6 in the NBA with 47.4 rebounds per game. The Sixers allow 112.0 points per game which is only 23rd league-wise.
The San Antonio Spurs have battled back from a rough stretch to go above the .500 mark again. However, the Spurs’ four-game win streak was halted when they suffered a surprise and maybe even shocking home loss to the Chicago Bulls. And it wasn’t just that the Bulls pulled off the upset but it was because the Bulls came back from a 21 point third quarter deficit to emerge victorious against the Spurs.
Newcomer DeMar DeRozan has taken over the Spurs as he leads the team with 23.6 points, 6.1 assists and 0.9 steals per game. LaMarcus Aldridge is scoring only 18.8 points per game by L.A. is leading the team in rebounds and blocked shots at 9.6 and 1.2, respectively this season. DeRozan had 21 and Aldridge 29 against the Bulls the last time out and San Antonio needs both to play big again against the Sixers.
San Antonio has the 14th best scoring offense in the league at 110.2 points per game. The Spurs rank 17th in assists and rebounds, averaging 23.8 helpers per night and 44.3 boards per contest. In terms of defense, San Antonio allows 111.0 points per game which is ranked 17th among 30 teams.
These teams have played a total of 93 times in the regular season. The Spurs have taken 57 of those meetings while the 76ers have won 36. San Antonio has won 12 out of their last 14 meetings although the 76ers have taken the last two meetings to sweep last season’s series 2-0.
The Sixers are 3-2 SU in their last five games played and Philadelphia is 5-8 SU in 13 road games played this season. The Spurs are 4-1 SU in their last five games played and San Antonio is a strong 11-5 SU in 16 home games played this season. Head to head, the Spurs are 8-2 SU in their last 10 meetings.
Good news for the Sixers is that Jimmy Butler returned in their last game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The bad news is that the Sixers have to travel from Cleveland to San Antonio to face the Spurs the following day. The Sixers haven’t fared well in back to backs, going 4-1 SU and ATS in their last five second games of a back to back.
The Spurs meanwhile have won four out of five games although they are coming off a surprise 93-98 home loss to the lowly Chicago Bulls. Despite that, the Spurs are 11-5 SU at home this season and are better rested than the Sixers. Philly hasn’t been good on the road this season and they will be playing on back to back games. We’re picking the San Antonio Spurs to beat the Philadelphia 76ers on 12/17/18.
The Sixers are 13-17 ATS in 30 games played this season. Philadelphia is 4-9 ATS in 13 road games this season. The Spurs are 15-15 ATS in 30 games this season and San Antonio is 10-6 ATS in 16 home games played so far this season. Head to head, the Sixers are 6-4 ATS in their last 10 meetings.
Philadelphia hasn’t really shown up on the road this season as the Sixers are only 5-8 SU and 4-9 ATS away from home. The Spurs meanwhile have defended their home court well both SU and ATS this season. The Sixers are playing on the second of a back to back schedule and they are 1-4 ATS in their last five games on zero days rest. The Sixers are also just 4-12 ATS in their last 16 road games while the Spurs have 3-0-1 ATS in their last four games against teams with a winning record and 4-1-1 ATS in their last six overall. Prediction: Spurs +0
The over is 17-13 in the 30 games played by the Sixers this season. The total has gone over in 8 out of their 13 games on the road. The over is also 17-12-1 in San Antonio’s 30 games played so far. The over and under are at an even 8-8 in San Antonio’s 16 home games played this season. Head to head though, the under is 7-3 in the last 10 games between these two teams.
The under has been the play in their last 10 meetings but these teams haven’t played yet this season. The Sixers have a top 10 offense and with Jimmy Butler back, they should be firing from all cylinders on Monday night. Likewise, the Sixers and Spurs don’t really play good scoring defense this season as they are 23rd and 17th overall, respectively. Prediction Over 224
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