76ers vs. Warriors: NBA Picks and Predictions

The show goes on. After losing Joel Embiid to injury, the Sixers have continued on their winning run, and make their next stop on the victory tour in the Bay, where they have a date with the Warriors on Tuesday. The game will give us a chance to see how this Philadelphia defense will continue to hold up, and how the offense will fare from three against a solid defense. Will life remain good for the Sixers, or will the Dubs have something to say with several key players returning? We’ll tell you where to look at SBR’s top-rated sportsbooks.

Philadelphia 76ers vs. Golden State Warriors

Tuesday, March 23, 2021 – 10:00 PM ET at Chase Center

No Jo, No Problem

As to be expected, missing a center who has sat out so many games over the years, the season has gone on without a hitch for the Sixers in spite of a multi-week injury to leader Joel Embiid. Philadelphia has gone 4-1 over the last five games since Embiid went down, and 3-2 against the spread. While this is all well and good, the one loss may actually be the most impressive result. While the wins came against so-so competition in the Knicks, Spurs and Kings, the loss was just a four-point defeat at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks.

Without their interior presence, the Sixers have opted to get it done from deep. Over the last five, Philly’s shooting an efficient 41.3% from three, though its offense ranks just 20^th in efficiency at 109.9 points per 100 possessions. So, why the success?

Defense. If you regularly look at defensive efficiency numbers, you’ll be enthralled with the Sixers’ 98.8 Defensive Rating over the past five games. That insane mark has led them to win by 11 points per 100 possessions despite a very lackluster offense. Against a Warriors team still looking for answers as to how to score the ball, this could be a deadly blow.

Sadly for the Sixers, this game won’t be played in Philly, where they’re 16-7 ATS. This is one of the worst road teams in the NBA with a 8-10-2 record against the spread.

Frontcourt Reinforcements

Draymond Green has long been known as a do-it-all forward, but 2021 has been a lot for even his standards. Centers James Wiseman and Kevon Looney, along with his backup at power forward Eric Paschall, have all spent plenty of time on the shelf. The last three games have been extra-taxing, with the trio missing under the league’s health and safety protocols. Golden State’s been forced to use Alen Smailagic from the G League in its starting five, with Green carrying the majority of the load on the glass and defending in the post.

Well, that’s all behind the Warriors…for now. Wiseman and Paschall are listed as probable for this one, with Looney not even appearing on the injury report. The return of all three would give Green a much-needed breather, but also breathe some life into one of the worst-rebounding teams in the NBA. The Warriors rank 23^rd in rebounds per game, and 21^st in points I the paint per game. Facing a frontcourt that’s without Joel Embiid, some renewed energy could give them an edge.

Here in the Bay, the Warriors are at their best. They’re a solid 12-8 ATS and 13-7 straight up at the Chase Center, though in 15 games in which they’ve been the underdog all season long they’ve covered just five times.

The fact that the Sixers have been so bad on the road and the Warriors have been so good at home gives me some pause here. That said, the matchup simply has to favor the Sixers on paper. Since losing Embiid, this defense has been astounding and the offense has found ways to score from outside in spite of entering this stretch with poorer shooting numbers with Embiid off the floor. Philadelphia should keep it rolling here against a Golden State side still trying to re-acclimate its big men. I’d make this spread slightly bigger, so I have no issues taking the Sixers up to -5 here for my best bets, even on the road.

NBA Pick: Sixers -3.5 (-110) at Bovada (visit our Bovada Review)

Sixers -3.5(-110)

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*The pick reflects the line at the moment the writer made the play, the odds at the beginning of this article show the live line movement. Since the lines might vary, don’t forget to refer back to our live odds.

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