The Philadelphia 76ers look to stop the bleeding this Saturday, as they visit Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks, who are also reeling from a recent loss. 

Catch this game live on Saturday, November 18, 2023 at 8:30 AM, Manila time

Away: Philadelphia 76ers (8-3/2-1 Away)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Tyrese Maxey
  • De’Anthony Melton
  • Tobias Harris
  • Robert Covington
  • Joel Embiid (Questionable)

The Sixers are in search of a way out of a mini-slump, having suffered back-to-back losses to the Indiana Pacers (132-126) and to the Boston Celtics (117-106) to finish a three-game homestand. Philly is hoping that playing in a different environment can give the team a spark, though, the Sixers might have to do it without Joel Embiid. The reigning MVP is dealing with a sore hip and is labeled questionable for the Atlanta game. 

That said, he’s been dealing with that issue for quite some time now and has yet to miss a game because of that. Embiid scored just 20 points in the Boston game – over 10 points fewer than his season average. He and the Sixers have a chance to recover versus the Hawks, who are allowing 117.2 points and 54.7 points in the paint per game – just 23rd and 26th in the NBA, respectively. The Sixers have also covered the spread in all of their last three visits to Atlanta.

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Home: Atlanta Hawks (6-5/2-3 Home)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Trae Young
  • Dejounte Murray
  • De’Andre Hunter
  • Jalen Johnson
  • Clint Capela

The Hawks are looking to stay undefeated in the NBA In-Season Tournament and also for a win after losing to the New York Knicks at home last Thursday, 116-114. For what it’s worth, the Hawks have covered 53.5% of their games when coming off a loss since 2020 – the 10th-best rate in the league over that same span. 

The Hawks’ offense is thriving this season, notwithstanding the team’s loss to the Knicks. On the season, Atlanta is averaging 120.3 points per game and posting 55.1 eFG%. Trae Young and Dejounte Murray are the 1-2 punch leading the Hawks, and even though the former is shooting just 35.6% from the field, he’s getting to the line a lot, averaging 9.8 free throw attempts per contest. Murray, on the other hand, is averaging 22.0 points on an excellent 50 FG%, while draining nearly 39% of his shots from deep. 

PREDICTIONS:

Spread: The Hawks (-1.5) cover the spread.

Over/Under: The total (230.5) hits the Over.

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