Joel Embiid Could Potentially Return Against Thunder
There's One Thunder vs 76ers Betting Trend You Won't Want To Miss
The Philadelphia 76ers released news many didn’t think we’d hear this season.
Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid could return to the NBA court as soon as tonight for the 76ers. Embiid hasn’t played since January 30 after Jonathan Kuminga accidentally fell on his leg. Once Embiid went down, the NBA trade rumors started to swirl regarding the 76ers. They made some moves but were still confident Embiid would return for the playoffs.
While there’s no guarantee he’ll play on Tuesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder, it’s convincing news with the playoffs approaching quickly in the NBA. He’ll certainly be back for the playoffs now.
The 76ers are currently in 8th place in the Eastern Conference. They’d still be in the hunt for a playoff spot, but at this time, they would have to participate in the Play-In Tournament before earning a guaranteed spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
On the other hand, the Oklahoma City Thunder have won three of their last four games and have a healthy Shai Gilgeous-Alexander back in the lineup. The Thunder are currently first in the Western Conference with a 52-22 record this season.
This is about to be a fun one.
With Embiid questionable, the 76ers are sitting at +5.5 (-110), with the total at 225.5 against the Thunder at home.
Check out the Thunder vs 76ers betting trends for this thrilling matchup featured on TNT.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Philadelphia 76ers 
Date, time:
Location: Wells Fargo Center
Thunder vs 76ers Betting Trends
The Thunder and 76ers have exceeded expectations this season regarding spreads.
The Thunder have gone 42-32 against the spread this season and have won 52 of 74 games straight up this year. Oklahoma City is 23-14 on the road and has hit the Over in 11 more games than the Under this year.
The 76ers have only hit the Over in three more games. But Philadelphia has gone 41-33-1 against the spread this season. Once Embiid went down, the oddsmakers didn’t trust the 76ers as much as they should have.
That said, the 76ers have gone 21-16 at home and already defeated the Thunder back on November 25, 127-123, in the only game played between the two teams this year.
Josh Giddey’s Major Performance on Sunday
Against the Knicks, Josh Giddey became the first player in the NBA to record a triple-double in his first three games at Madison Square Garden.
Giddey added 16 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists in 31 minutes for the Thunder in a huge one-point win over the Knicks.
The Thunder had trailed the Knicks by ten points through three quarters. But Oklahoma City turned it on in the fourth quarter and escaped the Knicks after Giddey iced the game with an assist to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with seconds remaining.
Joel Embiid’s Return
It’s legitimately possible that Joel Embiid is on the floor for the 76ers.
Embiid has been recovering from surgery on the lateral meniscus in his left knee since early February. At the time, Embiid was expected to miss about two months based on his rehab and recovery.
Now that we’re in April, Embiid’s timeline all matches up. He might even give it a go against the Thunder. But even if he doesn’t start against the Thunder, it’s hard to imagine Embiid will play for a hefty number of minutes.
We wouldn’t suggest betting on any of his props with all of the uncertainty. However, it’ll be good to see one of the best players in the NBA get back on the court ahead of the playoffs.
The 76ers will be dangerous, especially if they land a 7 or 8 seed in the East. Teams like the Celtics, Bucks, and Knicks should be a little worried now.
Oklahoma City’s Defense Is Lacking!
The Oklahoma City Thunder have been one of the best teams in the NBA this season. However, the defense has been slightly inconsistent over the last couple of weeks.
For example, the Knicks scored 112 points in Oklahoma City’s last game. The Thunder also allowed 132 points to the Rockets at home on March 27. On March 24, the Thunder allowed 118 points in a blowout loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
This is all due to weak defensive rebounding. They’re giving the other teams second chances at a high rate. The Knicks added 35.7% of offensive rebounds. Even the Suns earned 28.3% of offensive rebounds in the game prior to the Knicks.
Meanwhile, offensively, the Thunder have been more consistent. They’re shooting at a high effective field goal percentage but are still getting beat on the glass. The Thunder are not getting many offensive rebounds and don’t always find themselves at the foul line at a high rate.
For most of the year, the 76ers have struggled offensively without Joel Embiid. Embiid was the 76ers offense. He may or may not be back for this one. However, the 76ers have looked much more compelling offensively over the last few games.
Philadelphia added 135 points against Toronto last time out and still dropped 114 points in a loss to the Cavaliers. The 76ers will be more active on the offensive glass and typically keep turnovers down.
But like the Thunder, Philadelphia isn’t as great defensively. The 76ers have allowed at least 117 points over the last two games and have allowed more than 32% of offensive rebounds in three of their previous five games.
This will be one of the better NBA games today. That’s because when you look at this game on the NBA scoreboard, it’ll likely be a close and relatively high-scoring game.
Therefore, if you’re looking at the Thunder vs 76ers betting lines, consider backing the Over 225.5 (-110) for this matchup.
Thunder vs 76ers betting
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