Houston Rockets vs. Philadelphia 76ers Preview
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia
When: Friday, January 27, 2017, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Houston Rockets vs. Philadelphia 76ers – view all NBA lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
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Betting on the Houston Rockets (34-15)
One team that’s struggling at the moment is Houston. The Rockets are in the midst of a two-game losing streak, punctuated by a 120-109 defeat to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday. The Rockets are 3-6 since seeing a nine-game winning streak snapped, and in those six defeats the opponents have averaged 118.3 points on 51.9 percent shooting. Their defensive ineptitude was in full display in the second half of their game against Boston where they allowed the Celtics to shoot a whopping 66.7 percent from the field.
That being said, The Rockets will fancy their chances of ending their losing rut against the Sixers as they have fared extremely well against Philadelphia of late. The Rockets have won each of their last six games against the Sixers, with their average winning margin a whopping 12.8 points. Houston thrashed Philadelphia, 115-88, in their first meeting this season. James Harden starred for the Rockets in that rout, scoring 23 of his game-high 33 points in the first quarter.
Harden had 30 points and 12 assists in Wednesday’s loss to the Celtics, his 17th game this season with at least 30 points and 10 assists. He has flourished in Mike D’Antoni’s free-flowing offense, averaging 28.6 points per game this season. That’s third-highest in the league.
The Rockets are 5-5 SU and ATS int their last 10 road games.
Betting on the Philadelphia 76ers (17-27)
The Philadelphia 76ers stretched their unbeaten run to two games with a thrilling 114-109 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday. Six players scored in double-figures for the Sixers who moved to within 4.5 games of the Chicago Bulls for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. It has been a remarkable turnaround for the Sixers who have now won 10 of their last 13 games.
Key to the Sixers’s resurgence has been their excellent play on the offensive end. They’re averaging a whopping 117.5 points over their last two games. That’s way above their 99.9 PPG scoring average this season. What makes this run of the Sixers even more impressive is that they’re doing it without the services of their star big man Joel Embiid. The Sixers are 2-1 since losing “The Process” to a knee injury. Fortunately for the Sixers, Nerlens Noel is stepping up big time in his absence. He scored 16 points and grabbed 13 boards in the win against Milwaukee.
They will look to keep the momentum going when they take on the Rockets this coming Friday. Help is on the way for the Sixers with Embiid returning to the starting lineup for this crunch clash. Embiid has been a revelation for Philadelphia, leading the team in points (19.8 PPG), rebounds (7.5 RPG) and blocks (2.5 BPG) in his rookie season.
The Sixers are 7-3 SU and 6-3-1 ATS in their last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
The Sixers claim another major scalp as they stun the Rockets, 105-101.
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