House of Horrors: Sixers Big Dogs at Scotiabank Arena

Scotiabank Arena has been a house of horrors over the years for the 76ers, who have lost 17 of their last 18 visits — including last spring’s memorable Game 7 loss in the Eastern Conference semis. Philadelphia and Toronto have each won four straight games.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

Philadelphia was quickly bet down to a 5-point underdog before the line moved back to Toronto -6 (and even as high as 6.5 at some shops). However, the most notable early action came on the OVER, moving this total up 2.5 points to 218.5 as of Tuesday night.

The 76ers were 1.5-point favorites when they last visited Toronto in November, but Philly had Joel Embiid in the lineup and the Raptors were without Kyle Lowry.

Philadelphia News & Notes

As hard as it might seem to be excited about narrow wins over the Knicks and Nets, the 76ers probably feel pretty good about it. That’s because both of those victories came on the road, where Philadelphia has looked like an entirely different team all season than the squad that owns a 20-2 record on its home court.

The Sixers dug deep to earn those wins at New York and Brooklyn, overcoming a last-minute deficit in a 90-87 win Saturday over the Knicks and then rallying from a nine-point, third-quarter hole in Brooklyn with a 15-0 run en route to a 117-111 victory. “We haven’t been a good road team, and I think we’re at a good turning point for us,” Al Horford told reporters following Monday’s triumph, which improved Philly to 9-14 SU on the road.

Ben Simmons was a one-man wrecking crew for the Sixers in Brooklyn, recording his fifth triple-double of the campaign with 34 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists, adding five steals for good measure. Simmons has collected at least 20 points, six rebounds and seven assists in each of his last four games.

Toronto News & Notes

Maybe all of the injury issues the Raptors ran into a month ago were a blessing in disguise. Norman Powell, Marc Gasol and Fred VanVleet have all lit it up since returning to the lineup after missing extended time, helping the Raptors average nearly 130 points per game in their last four outings.

Powell has been particularly lethal following his recovery from a shoulder ailment, scoring at least 20 points in a career-high five consecutive games. The shooting guard drained six of his nine three-point attempts on Monday to lead Toronto back from a nine-point second-half deficit in a 122-117 win at Atlanta.

But while the Raptors’ attack is red-hot, Toronto’s defense hasn’t played up to its normal standards of late. The Raps have allowed at least 111 points in each of their last four games, a significant dropoff for a unit that has allowed the sixth-fewest points per game in the NBA this season (106.2). Each of Toronto’s last four games has sailed OVER the total by eight points or more.

Betting Pick: UNDER 218.5