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Oklahoma City Thunder vs Philadelphia 76ers: Can the Thunder finish on top of the West?
The Oklahoma City Thunder are visiting the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday.
Are the Thunder a real contender?
The Oklahoma City Thunder are second in the Western Conference with a 51-22 record. The Thunder have won three of their last four games and are coming off a 113-112 win over the New York Knicks. The Thunder are the best three-point shooting team in the league with 39.1%, second with 50% shooting from the field, and third with an average of 120.4 points per game. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the second-best scorer in the league, averaging 30.3 points per game.
The Sixers are struggling lately
The Philadelphia 76ers have fallen to eighth place in the Eastern Conference with a 39-35 record. After losing three straight games, the Sixers won a 135-120 win over the Toronto Raptors. The Sixers lead the league, making 19.7 free throws per game and 8.3 steals per game. They are also ranked ninth in the league, allowing 112.2 points per game. In the absence of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey leads the team with 25.6 points per game.
Betting Trends
Philadelphia has won 7 of the last 8 games against Oklahoma City. The Sixers are 2-5 SU in their last 7 games overall, 4-10 SU in their last 14 home games and 1-6 SU in the last 7 games against teams from the Western Conference. The Thunder are 7-2 SU in their last 9 games overall, 5-1 SU in the last 6 games overall and 6-1 SU in the last 7 games against teams from the Atlantic Division.
Prediction and Conclusion
The Philadelphia 76ers looked like a real contender in the first half of the season, but once Joel Embiid went down with an injury, the Sixers’s season had a big twist. They have slipped into the play-in zone and will have to take the tough road to the playoffs. On the other hand, the Thunder have had an epic season and have a legit chance to finish on top of the Western Conference. They played excellently even with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander out of the court. This is their second game of a five-game road trip, and just like in New York, the Thunder will win in Philadelphia.
