The Philadelphia 76ers are starting to take on a bit of water in the East, losers of five of their last ten and more and more frequently getting less out of Joel Embiid, who is having knee issues (and is having some frustration when he takes the floor). Philadelphia has slid to fifth place in the standings, now 9 ½ games behind Milwaukee, winners of eight of ten.
Milwaukee has pushed their lead over Boston and Miami in the conference to seven games. In the Western Conference, the Utah Jazz have won nine in a row, but have only gained one game on the Lakers in their last ten, sitting five games behind LeBron’s version of Showtime.
The Dallas Mavericks have also lost five of ten and are now sitting in sixth place, although they did end a skid with a win over the Sixers on Saturday. Memphis is coming on strong down the table, winners of five in a row and now in eighth place in the West.
If you’re thinking about including NBA betting this week, check out our two best picks.
Top NBA Betting Picks of the Week – January 13th Edition
NBA Sneaker King Power Rankings: Paul George rises with debut of Nike PG 4; Luka Doncic, Ja Morant back in mix
By: @RubenTalksKickshttps://t.co/prvmmcWn6z pic.twitter.com/9xkT1cEY8W — CBS Sports NBA (@CBSSportsNBA) January 11, 2020
Monday, January 13th
Philadelphia at Indiana (7:00 pm ET)
The Philadelphia 76ers have lost five straight on the road after falling in Dallas on Saturday. They had interrupted a four-game road skid with two games at home last week and won both, beating Oklahoma City and Boston in an impressive pair of victories. However, they went to Dallas and did not play Joel Embiid (finger ligament) and ended up falling, 109-91. In that game, Tobias Harris put up 20 points and 10 boards, but Philadelphia went just 5 for 21 in the decisive third quarter, when the Mavericks surged from a halftime deficit to take a lead they would not relinquish. Ben Simmons had 11 points and 11 assists but had no points after halftime. The 76ers need to take better shots (and make them) against the Pacers.
Indiana has dropped three of five but beat the Bulls in Chicago, 116-105, on Friday night. In that game, Myles Turner controlled the paint, posting season bests in points (27) and boards (14). Zach LaVine scored 43 points for the Bulls, but it was not enough, although Chicago trimmed a 16-point deficit to just four points as the fourth quarter drew to a close. Aaron Holiday came off the bench to score 19 points, T.J. Warren chipped in 1, and Doug McDermott added 16. That was an impressive win for the Pacers as Malcolm Brogdon (strep throat) and Domantas Sabonis (knee soreness) did not suit out. Can the Pacers get a similar result against an East contender?
NBA Betting Prediction: Indiana 104, Philadelphia 101
Tuesday, January 14th
Utah at Brooklyn (7:30 pm ET)
Utah’s nine-game winning streak has come mostly at the expense of the league’s bottom-feeders, but the Trail Blazers and the Clippers are also among their victims. Their latest triumph came at the hands of the Washington Wizards on Sunday, in 127-116 fashion. In that game, Bojan Bogdanovic put up 31 points, and Rudy Gobert scored 21 points and pulled down 14 boards. Washington led by 15 points in the third quarter, but the Jazz were able to come back, getting 23 points (including 17 after the intermission) from Jordan Clarkson, and overall six Utah players hit double figures.
Next up for Utah is a game against the extremely athletic Brooklyn Nets. The Nets have won two straight, beating Miami on Friday and then Atlanta on Sunday, beating the Hawks 108-86. In that matchup, Kyrie Irving took the floor for the first time in two months and looked like he had never missed a beat, going 10 for 11, putting up 21 points in 20 minutes. He had missed 26 games with a shoulder impingement, but he showed no signs of difficulty with that joint all night long. Can the Nets get a winning streak going with their star point guard back?
NBA Betting Prediction: Utah 111, Brooklyn 107
