The Philadelphia 76ers have back-to-back wins with James Harden back in the lineup, and they are looking to keep their winning ways going on Tuesday night against the Sacramento Kings.
Bettors and fans will be watching the Kings’ injury report closely, as star point guard De’Aaron Fox is listed as questionable for this game.
Fox missed the Kings’ loss to the New York Knicks on Sunday, and the team really struggled offensively in that matchup, scoring just 99 points. Still, Sacramento has the No. 6 offensive rating in the NBA entering this game.
Philly is back in the No. 5 spot in the Eastern Conference, and with Harden back and Tyrese Maxey progressing towards a return, the Sixers could be poised to make a run in the middle of the 2022-23 season.
It starts at Wells Fargo on Tuesday, where Philly is 9-5 straight up and 9-4-1 against the spread this season. Both of those marks are some of the best in the league.
Let’s jump into the latest odds and a pick for this matchup:
Kings vs. Sixers Odds, Spread and Total
Kings vs. Sixers Prediction and Pick
With Fox’s status up in the air for this game, I lean with Philly to pick up its 10th home win of the season, and cover the spread once again at Wells Fargo Center.
This line is down to five at FanDuel Sportsbook, which seems a little short for a Sixers team that has back-to-back double digit wins over the Los Angeles Lakers and Charlotte Hornets.
Philly ranks eighth in the NBA in net rating and fourth in defensive rating, a major key when it could be facing a shorthanded Kings team.
Fox has missed three games this season, and the Kings’ offense has sputtered in those games with the team going 1-2.
Sacramento has scored 107, 106 and 99 points in the three games that Fox has missed. The team averages 118 points per game this season, good for second in the NBA.
Obviously, Fox could still suit up, but even if he does, Philly can really sway this game in its favor by controlling the pace.
The Kings love to get out in transition for easy baskets, playing at the sixth fastest pace in the NBA.
However, with Harden and Embiid as dominant offensive players, the Sixers play a much more deliberate style of basketball, ranking 27th in the league in pace.
After watching the Kings struggle with New York, I think this is a spot to back Philly as just a five-point favorite.
Find Peter Dewey’s full betting record here.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Discussion about this post