Sixers vs Warriors: Betting preview, how to watch & predictions

The Philadelphia 76ers are in San Francisco to take on the Golden State Warriors, having lost their last three games in a row. The Sixers have been without current MVP, Joel Embiid, for the last two losses as he’s dealing with a knee injury. The Warriors are rested as they last played on Saturday, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers, 145-144 in overtime.

Sixers vs Warriors game information

Who: Philadelphia 76ers (29-16) at Golden State Warriors (19-24)
When: 10:00 pm EST
Where: Chase Center, San Francisco CA
Watch: TNT, NBC Sports Bay Area

Sixers vs Warriors Betting info

Moneyline: Philadelphia 76ers +136 | Golden State Warriors -162
Spread: Philadelphia 76ers -3.5 | Golden State Warriors +3.5
Total: Over/Under 235.5

Latest on the Sixers

The Sixers are in trouble and there’s no other way to say it. They’ve been battling the past couple of weeks, mostly without reigning MVP Joel Embiid, as he’s dealing with a knee injury. Without Embiid the Sixers are 3-9 while they’re 26-7 when he does play. The big concern lately has been that he won’t be eligible for any of the postseason awards because he won’t play in the league minimum, 65 games.

The Sixers have also been without Tyrese Maxey who’s been dealing with a left ankle sprain. Maxey has taken huge strides this season to cement his place among the more talented young guards in the league. When Maxey and Embiid are on the floor together, the Sixers look like one of the elite teams in the league. When those two aren’t playing, the Sixers look like a lottery team.

The Sixers have lost their last three games with two losses to the Pacers and Nuggets before getting blown out by 26 points on Monday night by the Portland Trail Blazers. They shot 44.6% from the floor and a horrible 17.2% on their three-point attempts against the Blazers. While everyone from Nico Batum to Jaden Springer and Terquavion Smith all saw minutes, there was nothing they could do to stop Portland.

The Sixers need to get healthy, plain and simple. They need Embiid and Maxey to be healthy and playing at the level they’ve come to expect. With Tobias Harris and Marcus Morris having missed time recently as well as Robert Covington and DeAnthony Melton both being out for extended time with injuries, the Sixers have been putting together a starting lineup of reserves. It has not worked out well for them.

Latest on the Warriors

The Warriors are rested and playing at home, having lost four of their last five games, including the last two to the Lakers and Kings by one point each. It’s been a tough stretch for the Warriors, who’ve been dealing with the death of assistant coach, Dejan Milojevic, suddenly and tragically on January 17th.

The Warriors still have Steph Curry and Klay Thompson leading them, but there’s not much that they can do when players like Chris Paul, who was going to be a huge addition to their team, has been out since January 5th with a fractured hand, and Draymond Green has been suspended twice this season for on-court altercations.

The Warriors have seemed as far away from the championship teams as we’ve seen in the past several years. Curry is still leading the team with 27.3 points per game, but other players like Thompson, who’s averaging 17.6 points, and Andrew Wiggins who’s down to just 12.3 points per game, haven’t been pulling their weight.

Having to deal with declining production, the antics of Green, and the passing of a beloved coach is enough to bring down any group, yet the Warriors remain resilient and have been trying to compete as best they can.

What to watch for

For the Sixers and their fans, the new year has not been kind to them. Robert Covington and DeAnthony Melton have both been out for extended time with injuries. Tobias Harris and Marcus Morris missed several games. Now, the team is dealing with missing its two stars in Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. While the team is one of the best in the league when they’re healthy and they have a deep and talented group of reserves to play quality minutes, when they’re hurt, they’re one of the worst teams in the league.

With a Warriors team that’s mostly healthy and a Sixers team that is still featuring its top four players on the injury report, this game could get out of hand, much like the Trail Blazers game. The Warriors have hung in until the end agains the Lakers and Kings in their past two games so it won’t be much of a stretch to think that the Sixers will be looking at their fourth straight loss at the end of the night.

Is there a bright spot to all of this? Well, the positive thinking would be that players like Maxey, Embiid, Harris, and Melton get their injuries out of the way during the regular season so they’re healthy for the playoffs. That’s more of a superstition as injuries happen at any time. Realistically, the Sixers need to take the time for their players to get healthy and hope that they can continue that through the end of the season and into the playoffs. A healthy roster, with the way that Embiid and Maxey have been playing this season, combined with the quality depth that they’ve assembled, bodes well for the team seeking a trip to the NBA Finals. Unfortunately, that trip won’t be starting tonight.