Monday nightโs game featuring the 76ers and Hawks represents a battle between the two remaining unbeaten teams in the Eastern Conference. Philly shouldnโt come as much of a surprise, but the strong start by Trae Young and the Hawks has exceeded expectations. This adds some extra spice to the matchup and it should be a great game to watch and bet on!
Philadelphia 76ers (2-0) @ Atlanta Hawks (2-0)
William Hill Odds: Philadelphia 76ers -4 Total 213 MoneyLine: -170
Philadelphia
The 76ers have had a strong start to the season, but it hasnโt been behind the player you might expect. Joel Embiid had a decent season opener, but Ben Simmons was the true hero against Boston. JoJo then missed their last game with an ankle sprain against Detroit, but that wasnโt an issue because Tobias Harris picked up the slack. For now Philly seems alright without their superstar bigman, but theyโll definitely appreciate having him play down the stretch.
- Joel Embiid is questionable for tonightโs game, but there is a good chance he will sit out just to be safe.
- The 76ers have 3 players averaging 5 points or more (Harris, Horford, and Simmons).
- Tobias Harris has started the season off well, averaging 22 points, 11 assists, and 2 steals per game on 5% shooting from the field and 54.5% from 3-point range.
- Al Horford has started his 76ers tenure providing a welcome scoring punch, averaging 5 points on 45.2% shooting.
- Rebounding and assists have been great for the 76ers. They are tied for 6th in the league at 50 rebounds per game and tied for 3rd at 27 assists per game.
- Philly will need to improve on their ball handling, as they are in the bottom 10 of the league in turnovers at5 per game.
- The 76ers have covered the point spread in both of their wins as point favorites.
Atlanta
The Hawks won just 29 games last season, but the play of then-rookie Trae Young was definitely a highlight. Now in his second season, the second coming of Steph Curry has seemingly taken a big leap, at least in his first 2 games. Atlanta has picked up 2 solid wins to start the season behind his superb play, but their true test will lie in the next 4 games, starting with tonightโs matchup with the 76ers.
- Atlantaโs rookies have been fairly underwhelming. DeโAndre Hunter has been alright with his 10 points on5% shooting, but Cam Reddish has just been bad with his 3.5 points on 20% shooting.
- So far, Trae Young has been one of the best players in the league. He is averaging 5 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists, and 1.5 steals on 58.7% shooting from the field and 55% from beyond the arc. He is also 3rd in player efficiency rating at an astounding 41.26.
- Jabari Parker has been a pleasant surprise off the bench, averaging 14 points on 7% shooting.
- Their biggest strength has been accurate shooting and lockdown defense. They are 2nd in the league at 2% shooting as a team. They are also top 5 for opponent scoring and opponent field goal percentage, allowing just 99.5 points on 38% shooting.
- One thing Atlanta needs to focus on is getting to the charity stripe. They are bottom 5 for free throw attempts and bottom 10 in the league for percentage at 18 attempts with 2% shooting.
- The Hawks have covered the point spread in their 2 wins, beating the spread in both victories.
Pick: Philadelphia 76ers -4.0
While Trae Young has been incredible to start the season, the rest of his team hasnโt played terribly well. Theyโve beaten two middle of the pack Eastern Conference teams in Orlando and Detroit, but Philly is a great team and will be much tougher to lockdown. The 76ers are an excellent defensive team and wonโt let Trae go on a scoring frenzy like he has. Because of this, your best bet is to lay the points and pick the Philadelphia 76ers to win tonight.