Spurs 1-3 as Road Underdog ATS; Getting 7.5 Points in Philadelphia vs. 76ers

• The San Antonio Spurs sit 5-10 and are at risk of dropping out of playoff contention
• Philadelphia is unbeaten at home so far this season
• Get the odds, our pick, and all the info you need to bet the game below

The San Antonio Spurs head to Wells Fargo Center to face the Philadelphia 76ers on the evening of November 22^nd. San Antonio Spurs vs Philadelphia 76ers odds make the Sixers heavy favorites to continue their unbeaten run at home against a Spurs team that has struggled in the opening weeks of the 2019-20 campaign.

The Spurs are 1-3 as the underdog against the spread so far and are 7.5-point underdogs. On a seven-game losing streak, San Antonio are sliding out of playoff contention and could be active in the trade market before long. Hosting the two Los Angeles teams and the Timberwolves next week, Gregg Popovich’s team are in dire need of a win.

San Antonio Spurs vs Philadelphia 76ers Odds

Odds taken Nov. 22.

Dealing With Philly’s Size

The Sixers are the biggest team in the NBA. Their point guard is 6’10” and with Josh Richardson currently day-to-day, Furkan Korkmaz has been the shortest player in their starting five at 6’7”. Popovich doesn’t have the same size at his disposal and probably can’t afford to start the Patty Mills and Bryn Forbes backcourt that he did in their defeat to the Washington Wizards last time out.

DeMarre Carroll has only played 57 minutes all season, but he could be called upon in Philadelphia. The unique challenges the Sixers pose should make Lonnie Walker an option, but he remains an unseen member of the roster.

The San Antonio Spurs have 4 of the 30 worst defenders in the NBA, according to TPA defensive points saved.

Pop is starting three of them.

Rankings:

1. Forbes is the worst in the NBA.
14th worst: Patty
18th worst: Marco
30th worst: DeMar

You. Cant. Make. This. Up. pic.twitter.com/IyA3HOPeeM

— Eric Salinas (@EricSal_7) November 22, 2019

San Antonio’s woes thus far have been down to a poor defense. Their defensive rating is third-worst in the NBA, and they are forcing the fewest turnovers in the league. It makes this a fascinating matchup; Philly’s offense has been pretty ordinary (15^th in offensive rating) and they have struggled with turning the ball over (25 turnovers per game).

The Sixers post up by far the most of any team in the league, looking to take advantage of their size. Popovich needs to put line ups out that can counteract that – particularly Ben Simmons – and force the Sixers to shoot the ball.

Rebounding Duel

These are two of the best rebounding teams in the league. The Sixers rank first in the NBA in defensive rebounding percentage. San Antonio are third in the same category. The Spurs are better on the offensive boards than Philadelphia with LaMarcus Aldridge and Jakob Poetl are combining for 4.5 offensive rebounds per game.

Earning those extra possessions against this Philadelphia defense could prove key. The Sixers have four players averaging over 6.1 boards per game and only nine players in the league grab more rebounds than Joel Embiid. San Antonio need to out-rebound Philly if they are to stand a chance of ending their losing run.

Spurs Need to Take Threes

Philadelphia have done a good job of restricting the three-point shot (they rank first in the league in three-point attempts allowed per game). Teams are shooting over 37% from deep against them, however.

.@BenSimmons25 highlights & chill.

18 PTS | 7 REB | 13 AST

🎥⤵️ pic.twitter.com/KhcCr2Ud6f

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 21, 2019

The Spurs are notorious for their reluctance to shoot the three and their two big-name players live in the mid-range. San Antonio have shot the long ball solidly this season, though, and must try and get shots up from range for Mills, Forbes, Rudy Gay and Marco Belinelli (despite his poor shooting so far this season).

Back Embiid to Dominate

This game looks set to be a low-scoring affair. Philadelphia’s offense is still laborious, but they should have enough against this Spurs defense. Embiid to have 30 points in a Philadelphia win at +204 looks a good bet.

San Antonio head to New York to face the Knicks on Saturday. The losing streak isn’t going to end on Friday, but they might not have to wait much longer for a first win since November 7^th.

Pick: Joel Embiid to score 30 and Philadelphia 76ers to win (+204)