Hawks vs. 76ers Odds
| Hawks Odds | -1.5 |
| 76ers Odds | +1.5 |
| Over/Under | 221 |
| Time | 7 p.m. ET |
| TV | NBA TV |
| Odds via FanDuel. Get up-to-the-minute NBA odds here. | |
The Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers will collide on Monday in what's the second night of a back-to-back for both sides. Atlanta's fading a bit with three losses in its last six tries while Philly just won at home on Sunday and can make it four victories in five with another good showing here.
With injuries piling up for Philly, is this the right line to set? Let's examine that below.
Hawks At Disadvantage Down Low
The Hawks are fresh off a very disheartening loss at home to the Heat on Sunday. They took a nine-point lead to the half and led by as many as 11, but by the fourth quarter it seemed the result was no longer in question.
Atlanta wound up shooting 3-of-19 from deep in the second half and in general shot just 31% from the field. All the while, Miami was able to to shoot 53.8% and out-rebounded the Hawks 25-20.
Now, the Hawks were down Clint Capela for that game which was a huge blow. Their Rebounding Rate is 4.9% better with Capela on the floor, and the fact that Onyeka Okongwu had just four in the entire game, with just one in 16 second-half minutes, is all the proof you need of Capela's impact.
The Hawks big man is currently day-to-day with what's being called "dental pain," and as of now we're not very clear on his status for Monday's contest. Reading the tea leaves here, it's certainly possible that he returns for this one. He has been out since Friday, but was upgraded to questionable for Sunday's game before he was eventually ruled out.
While I'd love to agree with the large contingent of Hawks fans who want Capela gone, getting roasted on the glass by a team ranked 23rd in the league in Rebounding Rate spells trouble.
76ers Role Players Filling the Void
The Sixers are dealing with some big injury concerns of their own. After Tyrese Maxey went down with a broken foot 10 days ago, the team lost Joel Embiid to a foot sprain the very next night. Unlike Atlanta, they've managed to stay afloat.
Philly has won three of its last four games without the talented duo, and they've covered the spread in all three. After initially being spotted eight points against Brooklyn, four against Charlotte and 1.5 in their first win over Orlando, oddsmakers eventually gave this team the respect it deserves on Sunday when the Sixers were made one-point favorites against the Magic. They went on to win by 30 points.
So, how's this happened? Well, first of all, Shake Milton has taken full advantage of his increased playing time with an average of 22.8 points and 7.8 assists in the last four games. Tobias Harris has also stepped up and matched Milton's contributions in the scoring department. All the while, Philly ranks fifth in Defensive Rating over the last four games and ninth in rebounding.
Hawks-76ers Pick
Here we have a Hawks team that was not a very good rebounding team to begin with, and may have gotten significantly worse without their starting center. The Sixers, meanwhile, have looked better than they have all season without two of their best players.
Philly is 5-3 straight up and against the spread without Embiid this season and 3-1 in both categories without both Embiid and Maxey in the lineup. I'm going to back those trends to continue, particularly with the rebounding discrepancy here.
I'm also not too worried about the Hawks' stellar point guard defense given they rank dead last in points allowed per game to opposing small forwards. If it's not Milton that sinks the Hawks, Harris should do so.
Pick: Sixers Moneyline (+102) |
