Two of the NBA’s hottest offensive teams will hook up tonight when the Philadelphia 76ers and Golden State Warriors meet for the first time this season. Golden State has won 13 of its last 14 games coming into this one while they’ve also taken 10 consecutive games from Philadelphia dating back to 2012-13. The Warriors are a 9.5-point favorite with the total at 240.
- Golden State is scoring 129.3 points per game in January (1st in the NBA).
- Philadelphia is scoring 120.1 points per game in January (3rd in the NBA).
- The total has gone OVER in seven of the Warriors’ last nine games (avg. combined score: 241.89).
The Warriors are Back and Potentially Better Than Ever
Golden State hit a patch in November and December when they looked human for a while, the first time under Steve Kerr that they experienced what it’s like to be a “regular” team. Now that the entire roster is healthy, including DeMarcus Cousins, the Warriors are on pace for their highest-scoring month during this entire dynasty.
Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson are scoring a combined 79.4 points per game in January while the team is shooting an outstanding 51.7 percent in 2019. In 13 games since December 31, the Warriors have hit 130-plus points in seven games while cracking 140 points on three occasions.
Golden State has a +15.9 point differential this month.
Much of the Same Output for the Sixers
While gushing about the Warriors’ offensive stats, it’s easy to overlook the offensive run that Philadelphia is putting together, including the No. 5 offensive rating in the NBA this month. The Sixers are scoring 120.1 points per game and shooting 49.4 percent while compiling a 10-4 record.
Philly is shooting 40.8 percent from beyond the arc in January, just two-tenths of a percentage point behind the Warriors’ 41 percent, so expect plenty of long-range opportunities from two teams that are assaulting the mesh from distance.
An area of concern for the 76ers tonight is the health of their center, Joel Embiid. He jammed up his back on an awkward play in LA two nights ago but is listed as probable for this huge game.
My Play For This Game
I’m leaning toward the Warriors -9.5 as they’ve been seamless on offense and the Sixers have the No. 22 scoring defense in the Association. However, I think I’m going to pass on picking a side and enjoy what should be a score-fest between the No. 1 and No. 4 scoring offenses in the NBA.
The total is 240 and I think this game goes OVER. The Sixers are ranked No. 3 in pace this month with the Warriors coming in at No. 9. Both teams are also ranked in the bottom 10 in the NBA in terms of opponent scoring this month with the Warriors at No. 20 (111.8 points) and the Sixers at No. 22 (112.1 points).
Seeing as both teams have taken the approach of outscoring the other side, I think it’s fair to say that both of these teams get to 120 points tonight, cashing my OVER bet.
