NBA Odds: Thunder (even)
The Philadelphia 76ers (13-47) will have a tough time bringing their 12-game road losing streak to a halt when they take on the Oklahoma City Thunder (33-27), who have won five in a row at home. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Mar. 4 and can be seen on CSN-PHI and FSN-OK.
The Thunder played well in their last game, topping the Lakers 108-101 on Sunday. Serge Ibaka played a pivotal role, recording his 17th double-double of the season with 18 points and 14 rebounds. The 76ers, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after the 114-103 loss against the Raptors on Monday. Ish Smith had a team-high 19 points.
Russell Westbrook and Ibaka have been better than usual over the last five games for the Thunder. During that stretch, Westbrook has averaged 30.6 points, 10.6 rebounds, 11.8 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.8 three-pointers, while Ibaka has recorded 17.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.6 steals, and 3.8 blocks a game.
The Thunder defense could make it difficult on Philadelphia’s shooters. They rank third in the NBA in forcing misses (opponents’ effective field goal percentage of 47.6%), while the Philadelphia offense is 29th with a mark of 46.0%.
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Thunder winning the first matchup 103-91. Westbrook was the game’s top overall scorer with 27 points.
The odds for Oklahoma City and Philadelphia are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. The Thunder have gone 33-27 Straight Up (SU) and 30-28-2 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have had success covering the spread (9-1). The Thunder have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 113.1 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 101.8 points per game. The rebounding edge goes to the Thunder in this matchup, who average a league-best 47.6 rebounds per game. Oklahoma City’s defense can be considered one of the best in the league. The Thunder allow a .428 opponent field-goal percentage, one of the lowest shooting rates in the league. Opponents have consistently had their shots rejected by the Thunder, ranking third in the league in blocks per game with 6.0.
As for their opponent, the 76ers have 13-47 SU and 29-29-2 ATS records. Against the Western Conference, Philadelphia is 4-18 SU and 12-9-1 ATS. One advantage for the 76ers could be Oklahoma City’s high fouls per game average of 22.1.
The Thunder’s win over Philadelphia in their last game bumped their SU record to 10-0 over the 76ers in the last 10 meetings. Furthermore, the Thunder hold the advantage ATS with a record of 8-2. In these last 10 matchups, Philadelphia held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers two times, with Oklahoma City controlling all three of these areas one time.
Predictions: SU Winner – OKC, ATS Winner – OKC
Notes
On average, Philadelphia puts up 90.3 points per game (ranked 30th), while Oklahoma City allows 99.1 points per game (ranked 13th).
Philadelphia ranks 30th in points per away game with 86.1 points, while Oklahoma City ranks sixth in points allowed at home with 95.3.
When giving up fewer than 100 points, the Philadelphia 76ers have a 12-16 record. When scoring fewer than 100 points, the Oklahoma City Thunder have an abysmal record of 6-18.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the 76ers are just 1-31 this season. Oklahoma City is a formidable 27-9 when registering triple digits.
The 76ers have an offensive rating of 91.7 (ranked 30th), while the Thunder rank 10th for their defensive rating of 100.5.
The Philadelphia 76ers average a field goal percentage of 41.2% this season. The Oklahoma City Thunder have split their games 20-20 when opponents have a FG% of 41.2% or greater.
On average, Oklahoma City attempts 22.6 three pointers and Philadelphia attempts 24.5 per game. In games where the teams have 25 or more three point attempts, the Thunder are even at 8-8 while the 76ers have a subpar 2-27 record.
The Oklahoma City Thunder rank a lowly 23rd, with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.47. The Philadelphia 76ers have an even lower A/TO, 1.15, and are ranked 30th.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are the second-ranked team in offensive rebounds, while the Philadelphia 76ers are the 10th-ranked team in defensive rebounds.
Philadelphia averages 9.7 steals per game (ranked third). Oklahoma City is 13-9 when allowing at least 9 steals.
