The San Antonio Spurs (32-18), the NBA’s top scoring defense, will square off against the Philadelphia 76ers (23-21) at AT&T Center. San Antonio opened as a 3.5-point favorite, while the Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 205 points. Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. ET on Friday, January 26, 2018, and it can be seen on KENS-TV 5.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. San Antonio Spurs ATS Preview
The 76ers were victorious over the Chicago Bulls in their last contest, 115-101. With 19 points, 17 rebounds and 14 assists, Ben Simmons led the way for Philadelphia with his fourth triple-double of the year. Philadelphia’s effective field goal percentage was their largest strength over Chicago. The 76ers had a rate of 0.617 (above their season average of 0.524), while the Bulls posted a mark of 0.441 (below their season average of 0.505).
The last time the Spurs played, they blew out the Memphis Grizzlies, 108-85. Pau Gasol played a pivotal role for San Antonio with 14 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists. San Antonio dominated every stat category in the game. They had a superb free throw rate of 0.268 (above their season average of 0.186) and a turnover percentage of 12.3 (better than their season average of 12.6). Memphis was 0.133 and 16.0, respectively, for those same stats.
Baskets could be hard to come by as a pair of the leagues premier defenses go head-to-head. San Antonio currently ranks second in defensive efficiency (101.1) and Philadelphia is third (103.2). It will also be a battle of contrasting styles as the up-and-down 76ers rank second in possessions per game, while the slower-paced Spurs rank 29th.
Of Philadelphia’s 44 games, 24 have finished over the O/U total, while 29 of San Antonio’s 50 games have finished under the O/U total. The Spurs have the better straight up (SU) record (32-18 vs. 23-21), but the 76ers have been better against the spread (ATS) (25-19 vs. 26-20-4).
Dario Saric has taken his game to another level over the last five games for Philadelphia, averaging 15.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game.
These teams have already met once this season. The two teams combined for 218 points in that game, which was over the projected point total of 208. The 76ers won 112-106, covering as 4-point favorites. The 76ers played a nearly perfect game. They had a ridiculous free throw rate of 0.412 and a turnover percentage of 11.6. The Spurs were 0.230 and 13.4, respectively, for those same stats. Joel Embiid put up a double-double in the victory with 21 points and 11 rebounds.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. San Antonio Spurs Betting Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Spurs, ATS Winner – 76ers, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The 76ers rank third in assists per game (25.9) while the Spurs rank 19th (22.2).
- Philadelphia ranks first in rebounds per game (47.4) while San Antonio ranks 10th in rebounds allowed per game (42.3).
- Philadelphia ranks 14th in three pointers attempted per game (29.2) while San Antonio ranks 26th (24.4).
- On the road, Philadelphia is 12-11 ATS with 14 overs and 9 unders.
- At home, San Antonio is 16-6-1 ATS with 12 overs and 11 unders.
- In games where they hold opponents under 100 points, Philadelphia is 8-0 and San Antonio is 21-9.
- When scoring over 100 points, the Spurs are 25-3 and the 76ers are 21-14.
- The Spurs rank 18th in steals allowed per game (8.0) while the 76ers rank 29th (9.3).
- San Antonio ranks first in blocks allowed per game (3.5) while Philadelphia ranks 23rd (5.3).
- The Spurs rank 11th in points off turnovers allowed per game (15.5) while the 76ers rank last (19.7).
- The Spurs average 12.7 second chance points per game, which ranks 13th in the league. The 76ers rank 20th in second chance points allowed per game (13.0).
- Philadelphia ranks ninth in points in the paint per game (46.8) while San Antonio ranks 26th (41.5).
Betting Trends:
- San Antonio is 3-1-1 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Philadelphia is 4-1 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders.
- The Spurs average margin of victory in their last five games has been 5.8, up from 3.7 for the season.
- During their last five games, the 76ers have scored an average of 107.6 points per game (0.7 below their season average) and allowed an average of 98.2 points per game (8.8 below their season average).
