MetroBet takes a glance at a pair of NBA games on the slate for Friday night.
Denver Nuggets at Philadelphia 76ers (-4.5)
Moneyline: Nuggets +165, Sixers -190
Betting Total: 229 points
Time (Eastern), TV: 7 p.m., ESPN
The Philadelphia 76ers (34-20) will try to bounce back from a Tuesday night loss to the Raptors when they face the Denver Nuggets (37-16), one of the west’s best units, at the Wells Fargo Center this Friday. Power forward Tobias Harris (20.9 points per game), acquired in a deal with the Clippers on Wednesday, could aid in that cause as he is likely to make his team debut.
The Nuggets beat the Sixers by 16 on Jan. 26 but they are fantastic at home (23-4). Denver struggles by comparison when asked to take their show on the road (14-12, 10-16 against the spread). They see their average score per game for drop by nearly five points, and their defense typically allows an extra two points per contest. The Nuggets could also be without shooting guard Gary Harris (14.8 points per game), who has missed his team’s last four tilts with a groin injury, as well as power forward Paul Millsap (12.0 points per game), who is dealing with a bum ankle.
The Sixers’ most recent loss can’t be pinned on center Joel Embiid, who had 37 points and 13 rebounds, extending his double-double streak to six games. As long as he is in peak form, Philly has a chance to win just about every night, especially when they are at home (21-6). The Sixers are 11-5 against the spread in their last 16 games following a straight-up loss.
The play: Sixers spread
New York Knicks at Detroit Pistons (-8.5)
Moneyline: Knicks +320, Pistons -380
Betting Total: 206 points
Time (Eastern), TV: 7 p.m.
The only thing more reliable than a New York Knicks (10-43) loss at the moment is an Under in a game involving the worst team in the NBA. During their current 14-game losing streak (5-9 against the spread), New York has a 2-12 Over/Under record. The points-phobic Detroit Pistons (24-29) should ensure another low-scoring tilt takes place at the Little Caesar’s Arena on Friday night.
Detroit, who has won five straight over the Knicks (including a 105-92 decision at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday), has also been friendly to Under bettors of late, going below the total in 12 of their last 15 outings. Oddsmakers can’t set a total low enough, as this game features the two worst shooting teams in the NBA. The Pistons are 29th at 43.5 percent, while the Knicks are dead last at 43 percent.
The play: Sixers moneyline, Pistons moneyline and Knicks vs. Pistons Under Parlay
