Philadelphia appears bound for a spot in the NBA Play-In Tournament after losing five of seven games to slide to the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference. The 76ers were trying to stay afloat without star big man Joel Embiid on the floor, but Philadelphia has gone just 11-19 without the league’s reigning Most Valuable Player.
Good news is on the horizon, though, with Embiid expected to return this week. It won’t be on Tuesday against the Thunder, a squad fighting to hold off a pair of teams (Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves) that are within a game of the top spot in the Western Conference.
Oklahoma City is a modest favorite on the road Tuesday against Philadelphia. Here’s the betting preview for the cross-conference tilt with a best bet.
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Thunder vs. Sixers odds, spread and total
Thunder vs. Sixers how to watch
- Date: Tuesday, April 2
- Game time: 7:30 p.m. EST
- Venue: Wells Fargo Center
- How to watch (TV): Bally Sports
- Thunder record: 52-22
- Sixers record: 40-35
Thunder vs. Sixers injury report
Oklahoma City Thunder
- Jalen Williams (ankle): questionable
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (quadriceps): questionable
Philadelphia 76ers
- Robert Covington (knee): out
- Tyrese Maxey (hip): questionable
- Joel Embiid (knee): out
Thunder vs. Sixers key players to watch
Oklahoma City Thunder
Josh Giddey: The 6-foot-8 guard is coming off his 10th career triple-double, finishing with 16 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists in Sunday’s one-point victory over the New York Knicks. Giddey averages 12.2 points per game but has averaged 22.8 points over his last five contests. Giddey could have to handle more offensive responsibility with Oklahoma City’s top-two scorers carrying questionable tags into Tuesday’s matchup.
Philadelphia 76ers
Kelly Oubre Jr.: With Maxey sidelined for Sunday’s road win over Toronto, Oubre handled the scoring for the Sixers, going 10-of-20 from the field with six 3-pointers. He finished with a team-high 32 points to lead Philadelphia to a 135-120 victory that snapped a three-game losing streak. Oubre was coming off a 2-for-11 performance against Cleveland on Friday before that performance. He’ll need to be at his best if Philadelphia has a chance at an upset.
Thunder vs. Sixers prediction and pick
Both teams have struggled in this spot with Oklahoma City going 12-13 ATS as a road favorite this season and Philadelphia at just 3-6 ATS as a home underdog. Oklahoma City is in the midst of a five-game road trip and could be looking ahead on the schedule with a showdown at TD Garden against the Boston Celtics on deck for Wednesday.
Of the superstars with their status up in the air for Tuesday, it appears Maxey has the best chance to play. On top of Oklahoma City potentially missing its top-scoring tandem, they’ll also be hurt on the perimeter. The Thunder are much better defending near the rim than from beyond the arc. Oklahoma City is No. 4 against 2-point shots and No. 12 against triples.
Philadelphia has lit it up from deep in recent play (45.3% over its last three games) and you can see the team getting an emotional bump for the final stretch of the regular season with the news that Embiid is nearing his return. There are just too many question marks on the Oklahoma City side to lay points on the road with an offense that could struggle with Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams potentially out, plus the lookahead spot with top-seeded Boston on deck to finish a back-to-back. Take the points with Philadelphia.
Game odds update periodically and are subject to change.