Portland continues its road trip, heading to the City of Brotherly Love. The Sixers are coming off a massive win against the Warriors, which broke a nine-game losing streak. However, with injuries all over the roster, this could be a challenging game for a floundering roster. The Sixers will at least have rest on their side, as Portland is coming in on the second night of a road back-to-back.
Robert Williams III Out
Jerami Grant Out
Matisse Thybulle Out
Deandre Ayton Questionable
Kelly Oubre Jr Questionable
Kyle Lowry Out
Paul George Questionable
Joel Embiid Out for Season
Jared McCain Out for Season
The 6ers have entered tank mode with Embiid out for the season with surgery as the season looks to be slipping away. The incentive to win games seems to be gone, as their first-round draft picks hang in the balance. With only a top 6 protection on the pick, it’s currently at 7th in draft odds, which would be catastrophic for the 6ers to lose.
Just winning their first game in the last ten on Saturday, this team has been a shell of its potential, but it doesn’t mean they’re terrible. Quinten Grimes went off against the Warriors, dropping 44 points, while Maxey has been excellent all year. That tandem of young guards might be enough to threaten a young, tired Portland roster. However, with a couple of players like Paul George and Kelly Oubre Jr potentially out, this team is thin. They’ll need an elite game out of their guards to have any chance of grabbing this win at home.
Portland, on the other hand, was toe to toe with the Cavaliers last night, taking it to overtime. They even had an 18-point lead in the third quarter. They did ultimately lose this game, but it’s a great sign for a young team like Portland.
Tonight, they’ll have to muster all the energy they have to get into Philly after playing last night. The 6ers will have the rest factor on them, but this Portland squad is still dangerous.
They were on a nice four-game win streak before that loss in Cleveland. They’ve shown no trace of packing it into to tank for the remainder of the season. This team is out to win the game and do it in style. They’ll be a tough matchup for the 6ers.
The 6ers will have to win through their guards tonight. If they can get Maxey or Grime going, attacking Simons on the perimeter, they could challenge Portland. Especially if Portland is shooting flat-footed and tired, they may struggle to keep up with both these athletic guards. However, one of these guards will have to deal with Camara, who has been elite at stopping the point of attack. Tonight will be no different, as he’ll likely take Maxey and hound him all night. Beyond the backcourt matchup, Portland will likely have the advantage. If Oubre and George are out, Avdija should be able to push Philly.
Overall, Portland just has a better roster with how injured the 76ers are. They’ve been playing some extremely high-level basketball, too, so this should be a good game for them. As long as they aren’t too worn out from the Cavs game, they should handle Philly, who is actively looking to lose at this point.
Money line: POR (+120) / PHI (-142)
Total Points: 229.5
Spread: +3 POR (-108) / -3 PHI (-112)
This Portland roster is worth swinging on when you see them with plus money. They took the Cavaliers to overtime last night. This team has the defensive ability to keep the Sixers in check. The only worry will be the offense. They might come into this game tired from the overtime game and travel. However, the core of this team is made up of guys under 25; they’ll likely bounce back just fine, even on the road.
Portland is playing on the night of a back-to-back road game, so they likely won’t be putting up huge numbers. On the other hand, the Sixers are missing some key scorers. Even though Grimes and Maxey have been putting up big scores, Portland has solid defenders to toss at them. Considering the score didn’t get over 229.5 when these teams last played with the Sixers' looking much healthier is a good sign that this game will stay under the 230 mark.
Portland has the better roster coming into this game. The 6ers do have a better star in Maxey, but with so many key players injured, Portland is deeper. Expect Portland to excel in the bench minutes when Maxey is off the floor. At three points, the spread isn’t a crazy good bet, but it adds a little security over the money line. I’d still go with plus money on the money line over the spread.
Even after having a massive game against the Warriors the other night, I don’t expect to see that out of Grimes again. He scored 44 points, shooting an insane 75% from the field and 67% from three. There is no way he’ll manage those percentages again, with his average in February only being 14 points. I expect him the regress back to the mean tonight.
Avdija is coming off a career game against the Cavaliers last night. Recording his first triple-double and scoring over 30 points, he’s been amazing. Despite this being a road back-to-back game, he’s capable of getting over 17 points. The determining factor will be his ability to get to the line. He’s been great at attacking defenses and hitting his free throws, so if he can at least get 6 attempts at the line, this prop will be golden.
Maxey has been the heart and soul of what remains of this Philly team. He’s been wildly up and down on scoring over the last few games. He’ll probably have the ultimate green light with everyone out today, but 30 might still be a challenge. With Toumani Camara likely on him most of the game, he may struggle to find open lanes or create his own shot. The under is feeling strong tonight.
Even though Clingan has been a monster on the boards some nights, he’s having difficulty sticking on the court. That’s even with Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams out with injuries. Fouls and fatigue have held him to limited minutes over the last few weeks. He’s struggled to clock in more than 20 minutes a game. Considering how Billups has opted for more small-ball lineups, I don’t think Clingan will have the opportunity to get 9 boards tonight.