NBA 2022/23, on Saturday, 25.03.2023
Over tonight’s game at the Chase Center between the Golden State Warriors and the Philadelphia 76ers, I would hang a banner, thick and bold, that reads “Top Game”. After all, this is by all rights one!
But who will win the race? According to my Warriors 76ers tip, not the defending champions. At the very least, there are good reasons to trust the higher away win odds offered by sports betting providers.
Different teams have dominated the NBA in phases at different times this year. First it was the Celtics, then the Bucks and now the Philadelphia 76ers seem to be trying to play their way into the limelight.
The squad from the state of Pennsylvania has won nine of its last ten regular-season games and thus made an almost perfect start out of the All-Star Break.
The only loss in this period resulted from a 105-109 overtime defeat against the Bulls, for which the Sixers were able to take revenge with a win in the second game of the doubleheader. Only two days later, the top game against the defending champions awaits them.
I’ll say it right up front: The sports betting providers see the Californians slightly ahead in this top game. In fact, the Warriors 76ers betting odds have been designed to slightly favour the home side by an average of 1.50 to 2.66.
On the one hand, this is certainly due to the home advantage, and on the other hand, James Harden’s commitment on the other side is still uncertain at the moment. In fact, the brawny guard is one of the architects of the 76ers’ current success.
Nevertheless, it is not impossible that “The Beard” will still be on the floor tonight. Furthermore, I believe that even without one of their superstars, Philadelphia fans can make a good case for why their favourites should make the cut.
The 76ers, in my eyes, just overcame a bigger challenge with Chicago than awaits them tonight. That’s because the Bulls and Sixers are the league’s two most offensively potent teams since the All-Star Break, at +8.4 and +10.2 per 100 possessions, respectively.
Moreover, the defending champions are anything but unbeatable. The Warriors may have won their last two games against the Rockets and Mavs, but before that they handed themselves three painful defeats.
Namely, the Clippers, Hawks and Grizzlies combined for 44 percent converted three-point attempts against the Dubs, also secured 33.8 percent offensive rebounds and lost the ball in only 8.5 percent of their possessions. Golden State did not make too good an impression in these games!
For me, it’s clear tonight that I will definitely try my luck with the Sixers – and not only because of the already mentioned winning percentage of 2.18 on average and the many good reasons for a PHI win.
In fact, the only seasonal duel between the two franchises so far ended shortly before Christmas with a clear 118:106 in favour of the 76ers, but the German bookmakers don’t seem to want to pay too much attention to that.
Admittedly, the possibly injured James Harden was also involved that night, but the Sixers have generally gone up a notch since then, so that they could defeat the Warriors even without “The Beard”.
Further, the Californians can feed off their all-important home court. After all, their record at home is 29-7, while it is considerably worse at 9-29 away from home.
But in terms of personnel, Wiggins, Payton and Iguodala are also missing some important players, which still makes me sceptical about the Californians’ role as favourites on the markets.
The Bwin app, incidentally, is a tried and tested means of intervening in the betting action with ease not only before the tip-off but also during the match in progress.
The bookmaker of the same name also impresses with its extremely extensive range of basketball sports bets, which is not limited to the NBA, but also includes the BBL.
Conclusion: It seems more likely than not at this hour that James Harden will probably not make it on the floor tonight. That’s because the Warriors 76ers odds have once again shifted in favour of the home side overnight.
Still, I see a chance for the best team in the Eastern Conference to win here.
Joel Embiid is the more important of the two superstars anyway and as long as the Cameroonian is as dominant as he has been lately, the Dubs should have a hard time keeping the Sixers at bay.
My Warriors 76ers tip: Victory for the visitors.
