The Philadelphia 76ers have just lost Ben Simmons to injury, but it’s not the end of the world of them, as they still have the likes of Joel Embiid, Al Horford, and Tobias Harris. Without Simmons, will the Sixers handle the Portland Trail Blazers? Or will Damian Lillard and company expose Philly’s weakness?
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Betting Preview for the Philadelphia 76ers vs. Portland Trail Blazers NBA Regular Season Game on August 9, 2020
Where: Walt Disney World, Orlando
When: Sunday, August 9, 2020, 6:30 PM ET
Line: Philadelphia 76ers (+2) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (-2) – view all 2020 NBA lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Philadelphia 76ers (+2)
Regular Season Record: 42-27
The Sixers extended their winning streak to three games after defeating the Orlando Magic last Friday, 108-101, despite playing without Ben Simmons. The All-Star guard/forward is out with no certain date of return after suffering what seems to be a serious knee injury during Wednesday’s 107-98 win over the Washington Wizards. Simmons was being used more as a power forward by the Sixers in Orlando, and with him out, Al Horford is now back in the starting unit to complement Joel Embiid in the frontcourt. Horford played well against the Magic in his first game back in the starting unit, scoring 21 points and grabbing nine rebounds in 30 minutes. Embiid and Tobias Harris led the team with each scoring 23 points. Horford also played big in lieu of Embiid (suspended) in the Sixers’ 129-128 win over Portland earlier this season, recording 25 points, five rebounds, seven assists, and two blocks.
The over is 8-2 in the Sixers’ last 10 games.
Betting on the Portland Trail Blazers (-2)
Regular Season Record: 32-39
The Blazers are shooting the lights out in Orlando. They have sunk no fewer than 12 3-pointers in their first five games in the NBA restart, and that includes the 23 they dropped on the heads of the Denver Nuggets in a 125-115 win last Thursday and the 17 they drilled against the LA Clippers on Saturday, albeit in a 122-117 loss. Against the Nuggets, Lillard erupted for 45 points on the strength of his 11 triples. Gary Trent Jr. is making people question whether he’s actually Gary Trent Sr.’s son, as his shooting performance from deep at Disney World is not reminiscent of anything his father was known for in the league back in the day. Trent drained seven threes on 10 attempts and finished with 27 points in 36 minutes off the bench in the Denver game. Lillard was also smoking from behind the arc in the aforementioned loss to the Sixers, as he went 8 for 11 from downtown. As a team, the Blazers hit 19 3-pointers on 34 attempts. However, they were killed inside with Philly scoring 84 points in the paint. The interior defense should be much better this time around for the Blazers with Jusuf Nurkic, Zach Collins, and Hassan Whiteside all available this time around.
The Blazers are 4-0-1 against the spread in their last five games.
Writer’s Prediction
The Blazers win, 114-106.
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