The Philadelphia 76ers (1-4) will take on the Phoenix Suns (5-1) tonight in the NBA. Tipoff from the Footprint Center in Phoenix is set for 10:15 p.m. ET.
The oddsmakers see the Suns as 7.5-point home favorites over the 76ers (Suns -7.5), while the total is set at over/under 226.5 points.
Read below for my 76ers vs. Suns predictions and my NBA picks for Monday, November 4.
76ers vs. Suns Odds
| 76ers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+7.5 -110 | 226.5 -110o / -110u | +250 |
| Suns Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-7.5 -110 | 226.5 -110o / -110u | -300 |
Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers went into this season with high expectations and thus far, they haven't come close to living up to them. You can blame injuries for that, though, as stars Joel Embiid and Paul George have yet to step foot on the floor in a game.
That looks like it will change Monday, however, as George — acquired in the offseason from the Los Angeles Clippers — is set to make his season and Sixers debut. How a player who averaged 22.6 points per game on nearly 17 shots per night last year will fit in with a team that has been led by guard Tyrese Maxey remains to be seen.
Maxey is averaging 29.8 points per game, adding in 4.8 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals. The fifth-year pro has seen his scoring average go up in every season he has played, with this year's total being aided by his 11.4 3-point attempts per game. He is making three of them, with his 26.3 percent shooting from deep being well below his career average of 39.1.
Maxey did make 4-of-9 3s in his most recent game, a loss to the Grizzlies.
After Maxey, the team has relied on role-playing veterans. Kelly Oubre Jr. is averaging 18 points per game, while Caleb Martin (11.2), Kyle Lowry (9.2) and Andre Drummond (8.6) all contribute, mostly as starters. Drummond's 11.8 boards per game lead the team, but he's about the only one doing work on the glass as Philadelphia ranks last in the NBA in rebound percentage while averaging about 40 per game.
The 76ers rank near the bottom of the league in defensive efficiency and they are playing at one of the NBA's slower paces. George's return should help on the offensive end of the floor, at least, which is another area the team has struggled. Yet, it remains to be seen how much rust he'll need to shake off and how quickly he'll get acclimated with his new team.
Phoenix Suns
The Suns were hopeful some small roster tweaks over the off-season and the coaching change to Mike Budenholzer would be what they needed to ascend back to the league's top tier, and so far, that's exactly what has happened.
Winners of their last four games, the team has gotten excellent production from its stars Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, while free agent pickup Tyus Jones has steadied the ship at the point.
Booker is averaging 26.7 points per game, Durant is at 25.8 and Beal is chipping in 17.3. The trio combines for nearly 21 3-point attempts per game for a team that is averaging 40.2 attempts from deep per outing. The Suns are shooting 38.2 percent on such shots.
Booker is coming off a 28-point game against the Trail Blazers and has averaged 33.6 points over his last three games, while Durant has scored fewer than 21 points just once this season and has three games of at least 30.
Beal missed two games with injury but has been his usual well-rounded self, scoring no fewer than 15 points in any of his games while collecting at least four assists in three of them and also contributing on the boards.
The Suns own the league's highest assist percentage, with Jones leading the way with 6.8 assists per game and Booker next at 5.7. He's followed by Beal's 4.5 and then Durant's three per game. The stars are sharing the ball while also putting it in the bucket, and the team's secondary players like Jones, Royce O'Neale, Jusuf Nurkic, Ryan Dunn and Grayson Allen have all stepped up at various times.
Nurkic is coming off a 15-rebound effort against the Trail Blazers, while O'Neale scored 21 points a few nights ago against the Clippers. Dunn, a rookie who in college was known for his defense and ugly shot, is hitting 39.3 percent of his 3s, with more than half of his shot attempts per game coming from behind the arc.
The Suns play at a league-average pace and although they are off to a strong start, have a +4.0 point differential with wins of three, 12, four, six and six points.
76ers vs. Suns
Betting Pick & Prediction
This is a somewhat challenging game to read, if only because we're not sure what the 76ers will look like with George in the lineup. He should make them better, though, and given that the Suns have not been a team that blows opponents out, this game very well could stay fairly close. Phoenix will win at home, though, so the moneyline it is.
