Take Warriors moneyline at home against the 76ers Tuesday
As of the time of publish, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey are questionable with respective knee and ankle injuries. Because this is the second game of a back-to-back on the road, I’m writing this as if the two stars won’t be suiting up.
If those two aren’t playing, the Philadelphia 76ers are down 61.7 points per game. Consequently, I’m picking Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors’ moneyline market on FanDuel, which has the best odds of -158.
76ers vs Warriors prediction: Analysis
(Tuesday, 10:00 p.m. ET, TNT)
To the 76ers’ credit, they went 11-5 in games without the reigning MVP last season. But that record is just 3-9 now, and a lot of those losses weren’t close games whatsoever. They’re 0-2 in their last two games with Embiid and Maxey both absent.
Even if they do play, fatigue could very well be a factor for the rest of the team who have seen their responsibilities increase. The second game of back-to-backs are always brutal, especially on the road on the opposite coast.
Philadelphia still has Kelly Oubre Jr. as a walking bucket that dropped 25 in their last two losses and Tobias Harris who is a boom or bust scorer. But the rest of their team is role players who serve as complements to their stars.
Golden State has had a rough season that sees them in 12th in the West. Despite their struggles last year, they finished 33-8 at home. That strength hasn’t translated this year, as they’re 12-13 in front of their fans.
Curry remains one of the truly elite players in the game, but his efficiency has dropped due to his teammates struggling. Klay Thompson is having his worst season since 2012, but has played tons better in January than the months prior.
The Warriors are without Chris Paul, Moses Moody, and Gary Payton II. Despite injuries and regression from Thompson and Wiggins, they’re the eighth highest scoring team in the league. Defense is where the team is a liability the most at.
76ers vs Warriors prediction: Pick
Warriors moneyline on FanDuel (-158)
The NBA is a star-led league, and Curry and Thompson’s star outshines Harris and Oubre Jr. If Embiid and Maxey were healthy, I’d feel comfortable betting whatever the spread would be in favor of Philadelphia.
Another reason I’m picking the Warriors is Jonathan Kuminga finally getting going. After averaging just 11.3 and 14.2 points per game in November and December, the third-year forward is averaging 20.1 points on 40.6% shooting from deep in January.
If defense is the area Golden State struggles most at, not having to guard two of the league’s best offensive talents will negate that a lot.
Their offense has scored 129 or more points in seven of their last eight games, so they should be in good shape as long as they can continue scoring effectively like that.
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