Pro Basketball Odds and Predictions: Philadelphia 76ers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

Philadelphia 76ers at Oklahoma City Thunder
Friday, 1/4/13, 8:00 PM EST, TV: FSOK
Opening Point Spread: Oklahoma City -10.5
Current Betting Line: Oklahoma City -10
Opening Total: 198.5
Current Total: 198.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

The Oklahoma City Thunder are one of the better teams in the NBA following a loss

Philadelphia continues its long road trip Friday night, as it looks to bounce back from a 95-89 setback to the Phoenix Suns as four-point underdogs, while the UNDER is 3-0-1 in its last four games. “We’re a team that sort of depends on everybody, but we rise Jrue so much,” stated 76ers coach Doug Collins about the team’s point guard Jrue Holiday. The 76ers have lost nine of their last 12 games overall, with the offense averaging just 93.3 points per game during the 2012-13 regular season. Philadelphia is 5-1 ATS as a road underdog of 9.5 to 12 points over the last two-plus seasons, which is important to consider when looking over the pro basketball odds page.

The 76ers are 6-11 away from the City of Brotherly Love this season, including a 3-5 mark versus Western Conference opponents. Philadelphia has dropped seven straight games in this series, while posting an 0-3 all-time mark when playing in Oklahoma City. Defensively, the team has allowed tonight’s opponent to eclipse the century mark in scoring in five of the past six games. Holiday joins the Thunder’s Russell Westbrook as the only players averaging at least 18.0 points and 8.0 assists per game.

Oklahoma City had its three-game win streak snapped in a 110-93 setback to the Brooklyn Nets as 9.5-point home favorites Wednesday, while going OVER the total for a fourth consecutive game. “It’s a fine line between winning and losing, and it takes commitment on both ends of the floor,” commented Thunder coach Scott Brooks. The Thunder are 16-3 overall at Chesapeake Energy Arena, including a 5-2 mark versus Eastern Conference foes. Oklahoma City is 6-3 ATS as a home favorite of 9.5 to 12 points this season, with the OVER going 6-3 in that situation.

The Thunder are 19-5 off a home loss since the 2010-11 campaign, which can’t be ignored when making your NBA picks against the spread. Oklahoma City ranks third in the league in averaging 105.5 points per game, while also limiting opponents to 43 percent shooting from the field, which is third in that particular category.