The Philadelphia 76ers have been stuck in a rebuilding process for years, and there seems to be no signs of breaking out of it. The 76ers made a few changes in the offseason but it didn’t help much as the team started 0-7. It will be an underdog again in an upcoming road matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
While Minnesota has also been on the outside of the playoff picture for several years, it has more intriguing young pieces and should be able to ride them to victory.
Don't miss the hardwood action from the Target Center at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, November 17, 2016. Catch every moment of the game live on TNT.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Thursday schedule.
Odds Analysis
The 76ers are 1-8 straight up but they have been an underdog in every single matchup and are actually 5-4 against the spread. Check to see how many points they are given in this one, because even another loss for Philadelphia could result in a gain for backers if the 76ers can cover the spread.
Philadelphia is 1-2 attempting to cover on the road this season.
The Timberwolves are 3-6 straight up and 3-6 against the spread. When they have won, they have done so in decisive fashion, blowing out the Lakers, Magic and Grizzlies early on. Minnesota has covered two times in five attempts as the favorite this season.
Matchup to Watch
Karl Anthony Towns vs. Joel Embiid - Towns has established himself as one of the best young players in the NBA. He was the No. 1 overall draft pick in XXXX and is averaging 22.1 points and 8.9 rebounds on the season. Towns should continue to improve and will aim to have a big game in this one, although he’s going against a player who could give him trouble.
Embiid was the No. 3 overall pick in 2014 and only dropped that low because of injury concerns. They were well-founded, as he missed the first two years of his career with foot injuries.
Embiid is on the court now, and while everyone is holding their breath that the foot injuries don’t re-occur, he has been impressive. Embiid is averaging 18.8 points and 6.8 rebounds in only 22 minutes of action per night. This will be a clash of two of the best young big men in the game, and the one that comes out on top will give his team a leg up.
Scheduling Situation
This is the last of a four-game home stretch for the Timberwolves, who should be rested and primed to put out a good effort. They will be hitting the road for four of the next five games, so stacking up winnable games at home is essential.
Minnesota is 2-2 at home this year while the 76ers are winless in three games on the road. If this game was played in Philadelphia an upset would be more likely, and so the 76ers will no doubt get a few points via their underdog status. The 76ers have a long home stretch coming after this one where they will aim to pick up some much-needed victories, but this will be a tough task heading into it.
Free NBA ATS Picks
In addition to Towns, the Timberwolves have another rising young star in Andrew Wiggins. He leads the team in scoring and is one of the most athletic wings in the NBA. Zach LaVine is another guy with unreal athleticism, and the Timberwolves seem to be building a nice young core which should get competitive at some point.
The question is if Minnesota can push for a playoff berth this season or if the roster is still too young. The T-Wolves must take care of games like this for that to become a possibility. Embiid and Jahlil Okafor are some bright spots for the 76ers, but No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons is injured and he would have been a big piece.
Both of these teams have some talented young pieces, but Minnesota is further along in the rebuilding process. It plays this one at home and should be able to emerge victorious.
NBA Odds: Timberwolves 118, 76ers 112
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