This is the Phillies team we expected. The roster starts to click with Embiid back and looking more in shape. Maxey continues to ascend towards stardom, becoming one of the most important pieces on this roster. We’d love to see more out of Paul George, but he’s slowly getting there. He'll be fine if he can at least bring his three-point shot back to his career average.
The Sixers have a lot of work to do after a devastating start to the season. However, they are currently 13-18 and continuing to climb the Eastern Conference standings. They’ve gone 7-3 over their last 10 games, so things are trending up!
The matchup tonight could be great. We’ll have to see if Embiid is available tonight, but if so, he can dominate GS. The Warriors have been on a major slide the last few weeks, falling from one of the top seeds in the West to the outskirts of the play-in.
If the 6ers can attack Golden State’s more undersized frontcourt, they’ll open up the whole game. Expect to see either Embiid or Drummond getting tons of action at the rim. With the matchup from Golden State most likely being Draymond or Trayce Jackson-Davis, the size of the 6ers will be a significant issue for GS.
This should be a close game, especially if all the star players are available tonight. When you’re playing against Curry, anything can happen, but even on the road, Phillie should have the better team. If they can avoid dumb turnovers, dominate the paint, and hit even 35% of their threes, they’ll be fine.
I’m a little surprised the 6ers aren’t already the favorite in this matchup, but if you can grab it for plus money, do it! The money line is an excellent value for Phillie at the moment!
Even with a red-hot start, the issues on Golden State have been shining through since the beginning of December. Golden State needs to find some positive momentum now that we're in the new year.
The biggest issue has been inconsistency. Buddy Hield came out early this year as a top scorer, but it didn’t last. After his shooting number began to fall away, no one stepped up to fill the void. They did go out and get Dennis Schroder to help, but since the acquisition, his numbers have also fallen off.
Golden State feels stuck. They’re too good to tank for a draft pick with Curry and Green healthy, but this roster doesn’t have enough to compete in a loaded Western Conference. There aren’t any convenient solutions beyond someone on the team elevating their game.
The matchup today is going to be tough. If Embiid is playing, Golden State will have to be on their A-game to win. They’ll need to knock down shots and force the ball out of the paint on defense. However, the size difference between these teams makes it hard to have much confidence.
Even though Golden State has had one of the best paint defenses in the league, Embiid is a different animal. He’s going to do his best to get to the line all night, and with how physical the Warriors play in the post, it will probably work. Besides Embiid, the 6ers have a solid matchup across the starting roster. The only player the 6ers might have a problem with could be Kuminga. So if he comes out strong tonight, he could be the game-changer GS needs to take this game.
However, I’m still more confident in the 6ers ability to take this one. Embiid is too big of a presence, and without a role player stepping up tonight for GS, it will be a challenge game.
Kelly Oubre Jr Questionable
Joel Embiid Questionable
Jared McCain Out
Draymond Green Probable
Kyle Anderson Questionable
Stephen Curry Questionable
Brandin Podziemski Out
Gary Payton Out
Spread: +3 PHI (-108) / -3 GS (-112)
Total Points: 216
Moneyline: PHI ( +136) / GS (-162)
Tyrese Maxey Over 24.5 Points (-115)
Andrew Wiggins Over 4.5 Rebounds (-105)
Steph Curry Over 5.5 Assists (-125)
Paul George Over 2.5 Turnovers (-105)