Once boos aimed at Ben Simmons die down as he takes his place on the sidelines at Wells Fargo Center—as a member of the opposing Brooklyn Nets—a game is going to be played…and Simmons won’t impact what happens between those four lines in the slightest.
However, as Simmons sits, the player he was traded for will look to continue his hot start as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers – this time against the old teammates whose unavailability may have been the driving force of his wanting out.
James Harden and the Sixers appear to be at the fully formed version of themselves entering Thursday night’s game. The Nets have Kevin Durant back, and because it’s a road game, Kyrie Irving will play too. But the full version of them won’t be realized until Simmons takes the floor. That shouldn’t put a damper on what will still be a highly competitive game.
The Nets are 4.5-point underdogs on Tipico Sportsbook, and they have a good shot to cover that spread.
Brooklyn Nets at Philadelphia 76ers Odds
Spread: 76ers -4.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Nets (+155), 76ers (-190)
Over/Under: 234.5
Nets Boost: James Harden under 25.5 points/Nets win (+350)
76ers Boost: James Harden 30+ points/76ers win (+340)
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Since trading Harden a month ago, the Nets are 5-1-1 against the spread in road games, according to Covers. In all, they have a +7 scoring margin in those games, including an outright win over the Milwaukee Bucks. In that same span, they’re 1-4 against the spread at home. That’s the Irving effect.
While it hasn’t translated to much winning yet, Irving’s presence makes them a drastically more competitive team. He’s coming off a season-best 50-point game and hasn’t shown any difficulty performing in a part-time role. With Durant’s return three games ago, the wins should follow soon.
Soon may not mean Thursday night in Philadelphia, however, as the Sixers are 5-0 with Harden in the lineup, outscoring their opponents by an average of more than 16 points. They’re 4-1 against the spread with Harden.
Something has to give, but in what will be a highly competitive atmosphere against teams that some are hyping up as new rivals, I lean towards this game staying close and Brooklyn covering at -107 odds.