Scrappy Sixers Travel to Phoenix
76ers vs Suns Preview, Odds and More
In this 76ers vs Suns preview, we will look at some odds, player props and matchup history.
The Sixers are somehow treading water. With last year’s MVP Joel Embiid out for weeks, the Sixers have been able to hang on and are still in the Eastern Conference playoff mix. The Suns, who are still looking to find some consistency and chemistry, are also surviving, sitting at eighth in the Western Conference.
The lines for this game opened Phoenix -8.5 and the total set at 221. Phoenix has been able to beat up on some of their weaker opponents of late, but the Sixers have covered in three of their last five games and have shown a lot of fight in the last few games.
Let’s take those odds and dive into this 76ers vs Suns Preview.
Philadelphia 76ers (38-30) at Phoenix Suns (39-29)
Date, time:
Location: Footprint Center, Phoenix, AZ
No JoJo, No Problemo
The 76ers fought hard to secure a close win (98-91) against the wounded Miami Heat on Monday. The Sixers’ defense shone, limiting the Heat’s scoring opportunities and holding their opponent to under 100 points in their second straight game. Stepping up in the absence of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre Jr. showed up big on offense contributing 30 and 22 points respectively. Kyle Lowry also chipped in 16 points against his former team in the victory.
Tyrese Maxey was electric in the Sixers’ win against the Heat!
30 PTS | 10 AST | 8 REB | 3 3PM pic.twitter.com/otZqvzB1ch
— NBA (@NBA) March 19, 2024
Without Embiid and other starter Tobias Harris, the 76ers are relying on first-time all-star Tyrese Maxey to take the reins. Maxey is averaging 26.4 points, 5.5 assists and four rebounds in 26 games without Joel Embiid this season, and has scored exactly 30 points in each of his last three games. The Suns are bottom seven in points allowed to point guards, Maxey may have another opportunity to score big on Wednesday.
Kelly Oubre Jr. has also shown some offensive leadership in the last few games. He has scored 22 points in his previous two games and has hit the over on his points plus rebounds prop in seven of his last ten outings. The Suns are the league’s leading rebounders for the last ten games so look at Oubre Jr. or Paul Reid’s rebound props for a possible under bet.
Cloudy in Phoenix
The Phoenix Suns can’t seem to figure it out. Starting the year as one of the favorites to win the NBA finals, they are currently fighting to stay out of the Play-In Tournament. Their three stars, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal, have only played 27 games together, going 16-11.
The Suns NBA game schedule hasn’t been easy of late, with a tough loss to the Bucks (without Giannis) and twohttps://www.pointspreads.com/news/nba/durant-returns-to-face-nets-with-suns-healthy-and-surging/ losses against the Boston Celtics. The Suns hope Wednesday’s game against the Sixers is a chance to get back on track for an end-of-the-season push.
Durant’s scoring has suffered in the last couple of games, scoring 11 and 13 points in each. Before that, Durant had gone over on points in four of his previous five games. This may be a result of Beal’s recent uptick in scoring. Beal has scored 20 or more points in five of his last six games (hitting the points over in six of his last eight) and seems to be finally finding his stride with his new team.
Kevin Durant has 4 total points in his last three 4th quarters 😳
📲 @Digits3App pic.twitter.com/Ixgo8KPQbR
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 18, 2024
Beal has also upped his distribution in his last few games, notching seven assists in each of his last three games (hitting the over in six of his last eight). Check out Beal’s points and assists prop combination on Wednesday.
This May Be Closer Than Expected
NBA odds opened with Phoenix as heavy favorites at home at -8.5. The total opened at 221. The Suns are 11-22-1 against the spread at home this season. Meanwhile, the Sixers are 17-15 ATS on the road.
The Suns are 2-8 ATS in their last ten games, so this game could be a prime candidate to take the underdog spread. The Suns certainly have the star power to blow out the Sixers but Philly’s scrappy defense and heart may be just enough to cover, even as they are unlikely to win.
This 76ers vs Suns preview has looked into some of the interesting trends for these two teams and their players, now make some bets and enjoy!
76ers vs Suns Preview
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