Atlanta @ Philadelphia picks
Wells Fargo Center
ATL vs PHI Picks
NBA Picks
Unlike Atlanta, the 76ers don’t play at a fast pace. However, they're notably bad defensively, and those problems have only exacerbated themselves as the roster has gotten thinner. Philadelphia probably isn’t proud of the 115.7 ppg allowed for the season, but that number continues to rise, with the Sixers allowing 117.3 ppg over the past 10 contests. As the scoring numbers continue to rise on both sides of this matchup, it becomes harder to imagine that it’s even possible for these teams to play a low-scoring affair against each other.
Trae Young o2.5 3-Pointers Made (-140)
The lottery-bound 76ers have pretty much stopped caring about wins and have shut down their entire starting lineup along with a few key reserves. The 76ers allow threes at the sixth-highest rate in the NBA and are second-last in opponent 3PT% (37.9%). They've been even worse lately, allowing opponents to shoot 41.1% from deep over the last month. They'll be torched on the perimeter by Young who leads Atlanta with 24.1 ppg and has been red-hot. Young has drained more than 2.5 threes in 10 of his last 13 games and is shooting 41.6% from the arc over that span. That includes a March 23 clash against Philly where he went 4-6 from deep.
The matchup vs. the Atlanta Hawks is a hard one; they have given up the 5th-least points per game in the NBA to the opposition's starting SGs over the last 20 games (15.1). The 4th-most sluggish pace-of-play home team in the NBA this year has been the Philadelphia 76ers. The Philadelphia 76ers have been the 9th-worst offensive rebounding offense in the NBA this year (offensive rebounds maintain possession, and a lack of them can therefore eliminate additional opportunities for scoring and assists).
This year when they are on the road, the opposing team's starting PFs have shot 45.6% on three-pointers (2nd-highest in the NBA) against the 76ers, branding this as a good matchup. The 3rd-most up-tempo tempo offense in the league this year has been the Atlanta Hawks. Offensive rebounds lengthen possession and bring about added chances for scoring and assists, and the Hawks rank 6th-best in the league when playing on the road with 12.5 offensive boards per game this year. Mouhamed Gueye has attempted 3.0 foul shots per game over the last 5 games while playing away from home, 1.2 more than he's attempted overall this season on the road.
In contrast to last season's 41.7% rate, Ricky Council IV's 3-point prowess has dropped this season to 25.6%. The 4th-most sluggish pace-of-play home team in the NBA this year has been the Philadelphia 76ers. The Philadelphia 76ers have been the 9th-worst offensive rebounding offense in the NBA this year (offensive rebounds maintain possession, and a lack of them can therefore eliminate additional opportunities for scoring and assists). The matchup against the Atlanta Hawks may be a challenging one for getting to the charity stripe; the opposing team's starting SFs have attempted a mere 2.0 free throws per game over the last 20 games (least in the NBA).
Mouhamed Gueye has compiled 2.4 offensive rebounds per game over the last 5 games when playing away from home, 1.0 more than he's compiled over the course of the year on the road. The 3rd-most up-tempo tempo offense in the league this year has been the Atlanta Hawks. Offensive rebounds lengthen possession and bring about added chances for scoring and assists, and the Hawks rank 6th-best in the league when playing on the road with 12.5 offensive boards per game this year.
Out of all players in the NBA, Onyeka Okongwu ranks in the 92nd percentile for personal fouls, registering a monstrous 2.6 fouls per game this year. The 76ers have played at the 4th-most lethargic tempo in the league on their home court this year, which ought to lead to decreased possessions for the Atlanta Hawks. Onyeka Okongwu should see a decline in performance for all stats in light of being on the road in this matchup.