Alex Hunter breaks down his preview, prediction and pick for Monday\u2019s NBA matchup between the Spurs and the 76ers.<\/p>\n
The Spurs are hosting the 76ers on Monday. On DraftKings Sportsbook<\/a>, San Antonio is favored by 8.5 points and this game carries a total of 236.5 points.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s dive into my preview and pick for this matchup. <\/p>\n Spurs vs. 76ers preview<\/p>\n The Spurs went into Denver on Saturday and saw their 11-game winning streak snapped with a 136-134 overtime loss to the Nuggets. Following the defeat, San Antonio is now three games back of the Thunder for the top seed in the Western Conference. The Spurs hold the tiebreaker over Oklahoma City, so if San Antonio goes 3-1 and the Thunder go 1-3 to finish the regular season, the Spurs will claim the top spot. While this is an unlikely scenario, San Antonio should still be motivated to win tonight and Victor Wembanyama should continue his late-season push for MVP.<\/p>\n The big man has been incredible, averaging 38.7 points and 17.3 rebounds per game in his last three. Wembanyama leads the NBA in net rating and the Spurs\u2019 59-19 record is the second-best in the league. Since the All-Star break, San Antonio is 21-3 and the club ranks first in net rating. As you can see, Wembanyama\u2019s case for MVP is very strong, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to be the favorite for the award with -2000 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook<\/a>. <\/p>\n That being said, as we saw yesterday with Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel for Rookie of the Year, the odds can quickly change following a big performance. Knueppel has been the favorite for the award for weeks, but Flagg surpassed him yesterday in the odds market after he scored 45 points in a win over the Lakers. Wembanyama will look to flip the script himself with a huge showing tonight against the 76ers, whom the Spurs blew out 131-91 in Philadelphia on March 3.<\/p>\n The 76ers are in a much better spot to compete tonight, though, as both Joel Embiid and Paul George will be available after missing that first meeting with San Antonio. Philadelphia has won four of its last six, as the team fights to avoid the Play-In Tournament. The 76ers are currently the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference \u2013 which is the final playoff spot \u2013 but the standings are very tight. Philadelphia is tied with the Raptors, but it holds the tiebreaker between the clubs, and the 76ers are only a half game ahead of the No. 8-seeded Hornets.<\/p>\n Getting a win tonight would be big for Philadelphia, but it\u2019s obviously going to be very challenging against the mighty Spurs on their home floor. The 76ers have looked better recently, but they are still just 13-11 and rank 20th in net rating since the All-Star break. Furthermore, Philadelphia is just 11-9 with Embiid, George and Tyrese Maxey active this season. <\/p>\n Spurs vs. 76ers pick, best Bet<\/p>\n The Spurs haven\u2019t lost back-to-back games since December and they should bounce back with a win tonight. <\/p>\n As far as wagers, under 236.5 points stands out as the best option for this contest. San Antonio is 44-35 for the under this season and with Embiid back for the 76ers, they are going to be slower and better defensively. In their last seven, the 76ers are 5-2 for the under. <\/p>\n