Game Time: 7:00 PM ET, Thursday, December 23rd, 2021 

Venue:  Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Where to Watch:  NBA TV

DraftKings:  Spread: Philly -8.5 

BetMGM:  Spread:  NL

VegasInsider:  Spread:  Philly -8.5

Hawks: 14-15, 11th place Eastern Conference

76ers: 16-15, 6th place Eastern Conference

We are at the point of the season where the Atlanta Hawks are in 11th place, but could jump to the top five if they win 2-3 in a row with some helpful losses.  That’s not really how it works,.. But it is how it could work.  The Hawks have been decimated by injury this season and the injuries are not over.  Still, they have a good roster and don’t belong next to the New York Knicks or Indiana Pacers in the standings.  Covid has taken a toll too… Lou Williams, Clint Capela, Danillo Gallinari, Trae Young, ?  All have missed time and all could test back in soon. They have lost 3 of their last 4 games to the Denver Nuggets, the Houston Rockets, and the Brooklyn Nets.  Missing key pieces along the way.  When healthy this is a top three team in the East… without Deandre Hunter from injury, Bojan Bogdanovic from injury and 6 guys to Covid… nobody in the world has any idea if the Hawks could win?… because it’s not really the Hawks… it’s the G-League equivalent.  Once healthy and clear this squad will easily win more than they lose… when are they healthy?

The 76ers are being held hostage to a chump.  Multi-positional G/F Ben Simmons threw a tantrum a few months back.. He saw that the fans hated his shooting weakness and his team hated his weakness to simply take the shot he couldn’t hit… and he is making a massive max contract!!  So he stopped coming to work.  The remaining roster is really as good as they were with him over the last few years, but they should have been winning by now if they could have built properly.  They are 1-3 during their last 4 games.  Struggling and listless

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Atlanta is 14-15 on the season, but 12-17 ATS.  They have logged 15 Overs and 14 Unders.  They are 6-8 in road games.  They have 6 guys who could test back in from Covid protocol before game time… or they could all miss entirely.

Philadelphia is 16-15 on the season, but 13-17-1 ATS.  They have notched 11 Overs and 17 Unders.  They are 6-7 in home games.  They are missing 5 players to covid protocols all of which could test back in before game time or miss entirely.

Atlanta is 5th in the NBA in points with 111.0 per game, 9th in rebounds with 45.7 per, and 3rd in AST/TO ratio with 1.9

 

Philly is 23rd in points with 105.7 per game, 30th in rebounds with 41.5 per game, and 10th in AST/TO ratio with 1.8

 

Our prediction for Thursday, December 23rd is….  Hawks 111 - 76ers 105

The Hawks should have enough firepower back in the lineup to run the 76ers off the floor.

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Philly is 5-3 ATS versus Atlanta at Philly the last 3 seasons.

5 of 8 of these matchups have gone Under the total the last 3 seasons.

Atlanta:  SF Solomon Hill (hamstring) Out for season ** PF Deandre Hunter (wrist) Out until mid-january ** 5 guys await Covid tests that will allow them back in.

Philly:  4 guys are waiting on Covid clearance… while PG Tyrese Maxey is Questionable with a Quad injury… and as always positionless max contract player Ben Simmons is Out because of a tantrum.

Atlanta: PF John Collins, SF Cam Reddish, C Gorgui Dieng, G Delon Wright, G Skylar Mays

Philly: SF Tobias Hunter, PF Danny Green, C Joel Embiid, SG Matisse Thybulle, PG Seth Curry

Atlanta

Points: Trae Young 27.3

Assists: Trae Young 9.3

Rebounds: Clint Capela 12.8

Steals: Trae Young 1.0

Blocks: Clint Capela 1.6 

Philly

Points: Joel Embiid 25.1

Assists: Tyrese Maxey 4.7

Rebounds: Joel Embiid 10.9

Steals: Matisse Thybulle 1.8

Blocks: Joel Embiid 1.4

Hawks: Nate McMillan

76ers: Doc Rivers