What’s the significance of the number 19.5?
No, it’s not the midwest’s average temperature this winter. It’s the NBA point spread oddsmakers have cooked up for tonight’s game between the Indiana Pacers and the Philadelphia 76ers, losers of 20 in a row.
This number marks the eighth time in 10 games the Sixers have been dogged by double digits. Philadelphia is just 2-5 in those previous seven including a 21-point line it failed to cover in a 125-92 loss at Oklahoma City on March 4. When taken into a historical context, these two lines are amongst the biggest seen in the NBA in 23 years.
The 21-point spread versus the Thunder is just three points shy of the highest NBA spread since 1990 - a 24-point line given to the Dallas Mavericks versus the Phoenix Suns in March 1993. It currently sits behind just eight other massive spreads in that time frame, tied with three other games at 21 points. Monday's 19.5-point spread against Indiana sits tied with five other contests that closed at that number.
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This shouldn’t be surprising considering just how bad the Sixers are over this stretch. They’ve not come within five points of a team and, not only have they been the league’s worst offensive team (averaging just 91.6 points per 100 possessions over this streak), but they’re allowing their opponents over 110 points per 100 possessions.
Putting this stretch in perspective, the 76ers’ offensive numbers are seven below the 29th-place Celtics, while the defensive efficiency is an entire basket worse than the last-place Milwaukee Bucks.
What’s interesting is that when you take the 110 points allowed and minus the 91 scored you come up with 19 points and once you factor in home court you can almost ration that there is value in taking the Pacers at the -19.5.
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Philadelphia has been so bad that discussions regarding have now turned to whether or not it’ll even win another game again this season. Of the 16 games left (including tonight) on the schedule, 10 of those games come on the road where the Sixers are 7-24 SU, nine against teams with a .500 record or better (they are 6-27 SU there), and 12 of those games are against teams currently in the playoffs.
It’s these numbers that have online sportsbooks pricing the Sixers at 3-1 not to win another game this season.
