Thunder vs 76ers Picks and Predictions: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

The Philadelphia 76ers got their man yesterday, dumping petulant holdout Ben Simmons for James Harden in a trade deadline showstopper. 

But while Harden won't yet suit up for tonight's game, the Sixers face the lowly Oklahoma City Thunder, a team they should easily handle regardless. 

Find out why our Thunder vs. 76ers NBA picks and predictions for Friday, February 11 are targeting the first half instead of the full-game spread. 

Thunder vs 76ers odds

This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.

Philly opened as a -12.5 favorite, with some books moving to 13 as of Friday morning. The total opened at 209.5 and has been bet down between 208.5 and 206.5 depending on where you shop.

Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until tip-off and be sure to check out the full NBA odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.

Thunder vs 76ers predictions

• Prediction: Philadelphia -12.5 (-110)
• Prediction: Under 207.5 (-110)
• Best bet: Philadelphia 1H -7 (-115)

Predictions made on 2/10/2022 at 9:50 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.

Thunder vs 76ers game info

• Location: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
• Date: Friday, February 11, 2022
• Tip-off: 7:00 p.m. ET
• TV: BSOK, NBCS-PHI

Thunder vs 76ers betting preview

Key injuries

Thunder: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander PG (Out), Mike Muscala C (Out), Jeremiah Robinson-Earl SF (Out), Aaron Wiggins SG (Out), KZ Okpala F (Out).
76ers: James Harden G (Out), Tyrese Maxey PG (Questionable), Paul Millsap PF (Out), Shake Milton PG (Out).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.

Betting trend to know

76ers are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 games following an ATS loss. Find more NBA betting trends for Thunder vs. 76ers.

Thunder vs 76ers picks and predictions

Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.

Spread analysis

There might not be much to write here beyond "Joel Embiid", but entertain us. 

Philadelphia's NBA MVP odds-leading superstar has been torching the league for the past two months like it's half of Ben Simmons' 2021-22 salary. Embiid has averaged 33.55 points per game since the calendar flipped, and can make minced meat of any team.

That's particularly the case for Oklahoma City, who, on a good night, is shallow and undersized in the pivot. Tonight, it's down to essentially just Derrick Favors to stop Embiid, lest twigs Darius Bazley or Aleksej Pokusevski try and step up to the challenge. 

Worst yet for OKC, while it fights an uphill battle to contain Embiid on one end, its own leading scorer, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, is sidelined. Gilgeous-Alexander almost single-handedly props up a pathetic Thunder offense most nights, and they've averaged an anemic 99.6 ppg in his absence.

The offensive futility will only be compounded against the Sixers, a Top-10 defensive team that should be playing with renewed energy after yesterday's blockbuster trade for James Harden. With the Simmons drama now in the rearview, this Sixers team has a serious monkey off its back, and the enthusiasm spawned by very legitimate title contention, as the NBA championship odds spell out. 

Take SGA away from the Thunder and they're easily the NBA's worst team on paper. They're a scrappy bunch that's done well against the spread this season, but they'll be horribly outmatched in a game Philly won't take as lightly as you'd think.

Prediction: Philadelphia -12.5 (-110)

Over/Under analysis

Even set at a competitive 207.5, it's tough to get behind an Over for this game. 

For starters, there's OKC's offense. It ranks dead last in the NBA on the season and has lost its top scorer, going up against one of the league's better defenses by reputation. 

Not only is Philly a strong defensive unit, it plays at the league's third-slowest pace, and can easily impose its will on OKC, forcing a grind-it-out game with few free throws (below-average foul rate) or fast-break opportunities (NBA's second-fewest turnovers as a team).

Variance could send this line sideways when garbage time inevitably consumes as much as half of this game, but before tipoff, most signs point to an Under here. 

Prediction: Under 207.5 (-110)

Best bet

While we don't expect this game to be even remotely close, the likely garbage time does leave the proverbial back door open for an OKC cover. It's what's helped them prey on teams who've long since ended the game's outright outcome, to the tune of a 32-19-3 ATS record on the season.

With that in mind, we're looking to mitigate that variance and target a first-half spread that's slightly adjusted to reflect the Thunder's substantially worse 24-30 record against first-half margins.

The Sixers will have to make up 7 of the 12.5 points they're spotting OKC in the first half, and given the talent disparity between these two sides, we're behind it. 

Embiid's going to continue looking to make statements as his narrative inches towards the MVP, and Philly will want to ensure the table's set for Harden's imminent arrival. 

The Sixers won't be taking any chances tonight, with the hunt for the East's No. 1 seed shaping up like a Rat Race-type chase down the stretch.

Pick: Philadelphia 1H -7 (-115)

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