Are the Philadelphia 76ers allergic to winning? This team is a factory of losses and its latest product was a soul-crushing defeat at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs. The 76ers can’t quit being part of the NBA, though, and they will have to march their way to Brooklyn hoping to get just their second win of the season. The Nets, on the other hand, beat the Houston Rockets on Tuesday, to give the team its fourth victory in six games.
For more NBA previews, you can check out our breakdown of Clippers vs. Bulls and Hawks vs. Thunder.
[sc:NBAArticles ]Philadelphia 76ers vs. Brooklyn Nets Betting Preview
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn
When: Thursday, December 10, 2015, 7:30 PM ET
Line: Philadelphia 76ers vs. Brooklyn Nets – view all NBA lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Philadelphia 76ers (1-21)
[sc:NBA240banner ]The 76ers suck. There’s no denying in that. And in the team’s most recent game, the 76ers were bludgeoned by San Antonio in a traumatizing 119-68 loss on Monday. As it stands, the 76ers are on course to finish once again in the bottom of the league standings.
Against the Spurs, Philadelphia offered the usual: a struggling offense paired with a useless defense. The Sixers went just 26-for-75 (34.7%) from the field and just 12-for-21 from the foul line. Jahlil Okafor, the team’s leading scorer this season with 16.9 PPG, was ineffective that night, as he shot 3-for-14 for just 10 points.
Okafor’s bad performance, however, may be partly caused by a recent two-game suspension. Hopefully for the rookie, he’s completely shaken off the rust when he tries to operate inside against Brooklyn’s defense that allows 42.4 points in the paint per game. Versatile forward Robert Covington, meanwhile, has been a spark for the Sixers’ offense of late, as he’s averaging 16.0 points and 3.5 treys on 48.9 FG% over the past four games.
The Sixers’ defense is just as dire as their offense. Philadelphia is 24th in the league with 103.1 points allowed per contest. Having said that, the Sixers should have an easier time dealing with Brooklyn’s attack than that of San Antonio’s. For one, the Nets are putting up only 95.6 points per game, which is just 28th in the NBA.
Philadelphia is 5-1 ATS in its last six road games.
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Betting on the Brooklyn Nets (6-15)
After being ripped apart by Golden State on Sunday, the Nets bounced back in a big way, defeating Houston two days later, 110-105.
Unlike in most of their previous games, the Nets had their offense humming against Houston. All five starters scored in double-figures, including Brook Lopez, who had a team-high 24 points on 9-for-14 shooting. Brooklyn entered the game with a 44.1 FG% on the season, but shot 55.6% in the Rockets game. Considering how bad Philadelphia’s defense has been this year, Brooklyn may have another scoring spree later tonight.
The Sixers game also presents Bojan Bogdanovic another opportunity to strut his wares on offense. Bogdanovic has been the biggest beneficiary of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson’s (ankle) absence, as he’s now placed in the starting unit. Bogdanovic played well against Houston, dropping 19 points, including three treys.
Bogdanovic’s ability to stretch the floor should give Lopez and Thaddeus Young plenty of space in the paint. Young has been a terrific complement for Lopez in the frontcourt, as he’s been producing 15.9 PPG while leading the team in rebounds with 8.9 per game.
Brooklyn will look to control the game against the Sixers by dominating the boards. The Nets are ninth in the NBA with 45.2 RPG and 10th on the offensive glass with 34.2 ORPG. Furthermore, the Nets are holding opponents to only 10.4 second-chance points per contest.
Brooklyn is 3-1 ATS in its last four games against the Sixers.
Writer’s Prediction
Brooklyn wins, 101-91.
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