There are only two games on the Thursday NBA odds slate, but the opener of the nationally televised doubleheader will have the full attention of the league’s fans and bettors.
The Philadelphia 76ers haven’t lost with James Harden on the court since acquiring the former league MVP in a blockbuster deal at the trade deadline. Now Harden gets his first crack at his (most recent) former team, the Brooklyn Nets.
Unfortunately for Sixers fans, Ben Simmons — the young star who forced his way out of Philadelphia and was Brooklyn’s key acquisition in the Harden trade — won’t suit up Thursday. So if the Philadelphia fans want to boo Simmons, they’ll have to boo someone in street clothes.
The nightcap on the Thursday NBA odds board isn’t bad either, as Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets welcome Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors in a key Western Conference battle.
Props.com breaks down both matchups in our Thursday NBA betting preview.
Odds via WynnBet and updated as of noon ET on March 10.
Brooklyn Nets Vs Philadelphia 76ers
Tipoff/TV: 7:30 p.m. ET/TNT
Nets: 33-33 SU/26-38-2 ATS
76ers: 40-24 SU/32-31-1 ATS
Spread/Total: 76ers -4/236
Last meeting: Philadelphia scored a 110-102 road upset as 5-point underdogs on Dec. 30 (well before the Harden-Simmons trade).
Did you know: This is the fourth and final regular-season meeting between these Atlantic Division rivals. The Nets won the first two and covered as a 1.5-point road favorite and a 3-point home underdog, scoring 114 points in both contests.
About Brooklyn: The post-Harden-trade showdown is merely the latest episode in an injury- and controversy-filled season for the Nets, who have ranked among the title favorites all season but appear destined for a play-in game. Brooklyn currently sits in eighth place in the Eastern Conference, 5.5 games back of sixth-place Cleveland. On the bright side, the Nets are coming off one of their better performances in recent weeks, as they went to Charlotte on Tuesday and dumped the Bobcats 132-121 as 4.5-point favorites. Kyrie Irving, who has been at the center of Brooklyn’s season-long drama, poured in a season-high 50 points in the victory. Still, the Nets are 4-17 SU (7-12-2 ATS) since Jan. 23, and they’ve won consecutive games just twice since late December. All-Star forward Kevin Durant is averaging 27.3 points in his three games since returning from a knee injury.
About Philadelphia: The 76ers are 5-1 SU and 4-2 ATS since acquiring Harden, with the only straight-up loss coming when the bearded one was out of the lineup against Miami on Saturday. Four of the victories were by 14 points or more, and Philly put up 120-plus points in all five games (averaging 125.4 points per outing). In contrast, when Harden rested against the Heat, the Sixers produced a season-low 82 points. Harden is averaging 24.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 12.4 assists with Philadelphia despite not playing 40 minutes or more in any contest. The 76ers have been idle since Monday’s 121-106 rout of the Bulls as an 8-point home chalk. Philadelphia is 2.5 games behind Miami for the top seed in the Eastern Conference and just a half-game behind Milwaukee for the No. 2 seed.
Notable Trends
- Brooklyn is 5-1-1 ATS in its last seven road games (4-1-1 ATS as a road underdog)
- Philadelphia is 5-2 ATS in its last seven overall (5-1 ATS as a favorite)
- Philadelphia is 4-1 ATS with Harden on the court
- Over is 7-2 in Brooklyn’s last nine overall
- Over is 6-2 in Philadelphia’s last eight overall (4-1 with Harden playing)
- Philadelphia is 5-2 ATS in its last seven home games vs. Brooklyn
Brooklyn Nets Vs Philadelphia 76ers Odds and Action
UPDATE 6:45 P.M. ET: The 76ers opened as 4.5-point favorites on WynnBet’s Thursday NBA odds board, briefly touched -5 this morning, then made a couple trips down to -4. Philly is currently -4, with ticket count dead even and 55% of money on the Sixers. The total steadily climbed from 230 to 236 today, with 79% of tickets/91% of cash on the Over.
Golden State Warriors Vs Denver Nuggets
Tipoff/TV: 10 p.m. ET/TNT
Warriors: 44-22 SU/32-30-4 ATS
Nuggets: 40-26 SU/30-35-1 ATS
Spread/Total: Warriors -2/229
Last meeting: The Warriors fell 131-124 at Denver on Monday but covered as an 8-point road underdog, despite being without starters Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins (all rested), and Draymond Green (injury).
Did you know: The Nuggets are 3-0 SU and 2-1 ATS against the Warriors this season. The underdog has cashed in five consecutive meetings and seven of the last eight (going 5-3 SU).
About Golden State: The Warriors have been in a freefall since their nine-game SU winning streak ended Feb. 9, going 3-9 SU and ATS in their past 12. The Warriors now sit in third place in the Western Conference, nine games behind first-place Phoenix and a half-game behind Memphis for the No. 2 seed. One positive: Golden State snapped its five-game SU slide Tuesday, routing the Clippers 112-97 as a 6-point home chalk. Including Monday’s game against the Nuggets, the Warriors have covered the spread in consecutive contests for the first time since Jan. 31-Feb. 1. That said, they’re 1-6 SU/2-5 ATS in their last seven on the road.
About Denver: The Nuggets have won four in a row and 10 off 11, which has pushed them into a tie with Dallas for fifth place in the Western Conference, 2.5 games clear of the seventh spot and a play-in game. However, Denver is just 6-5 ATS during that stretch, including a non-cover in Wednesday’s 106-100 victory at Sacramento as a 6.5-point road chalk. The Nuggets have won seven of their last eight at home, but have only split the money in those contests. Denver could be without two of their top five scorers, as shooting guard Will Barton (14.8 points per game) and forward Jeff Green (10.4 ppg) are questionable. Barton (ankle) and Green (personal) missed Wednesday’s game at Sacramento.
Notable Trends
- Golden State is 3-10-1 ATS in its last 14 overall
- Golden State is 5-15-1 ATS in its last 21 when playing on one day of rest
- Denver is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 at home
- Over is 8-2-1 in Golden State’s last 11 (5-0-1 on the road)
- Over is 15-5-2 Over in Denver’s last 22 at home
- Golden State is 8-3 ATS in the last 11 overall
- Over is 9-4 in the last 13 Warriors-Nuggets games in Denver
Golden State Warriors Vs Denver Nuggets Odds and Action
UPDATE 7:45 PM ET: Golden State opened as a 3-point favorite on WynnBet’s Thursday NBA odds board, but is now down to -2. As of 6 p.m. ET, there was decent two-way action on the spread, with 61% of the tickets on the Warriors and 51% of the cash on the host Nuggets. The total has skyrocketed from an opener of 224 to 229, and as you might expect the vast majority of tickets (83%) and money (89%) are on the Over.