The Philadelphia 76ers have taken on a new look since trading Ben Simmons for James Harden. The red-hot 76ers will host the Chicago Bulls (39-25) at 7:30 p.m. ET Monday in a game with playoff seeding implications. Philadelphia (39-24) is even with Milwaukee at second in the Eastern Conference while the Bulls are a half-game back.
It’s the third game in four days for Philly, while the Bulls have had a few days off since a back-to-back.
In the four games Harden has played since the trade from Brooklyn, Philadelphia is 4-0 with an average win margin of 17 points. That includes a six-point margin against the Cavs (37-27) and a 31-point margin against Minnesota (36-29).
The line opened at 76ers -7.5 with an over/under of 232, which sticks as of this writing.
Philly getting offensive
Adding a superstar in Harden, who is one of the greatest offensive players in NBA history, has helped a team with title potential. The 76ers have the 19th ranked scoring offense at 108.3 points per game, and in four games with Harden, Philly is averaging 126.5 points per game.
Harden has made a huge impact, averaging 26.8 points, 12.0 assists, and 7.5 rebounds per game since the trade. He has one triple-double and a double-double.
Improving on the offensive end is key, with Philly already ranking sixth defensively, allowing 106.1 points per game. The 76ers are also the fourth-best team in 3-point defense, forcing opponents to shoot 33.9%.
Adding Harden to the mix and also acquiring veterans DeAndre Jordan and Paul Millsap gives Philadelphia a little extra to make a title push. Especially when it comes at the expense of Simmons, who wasn’t playing for the 76ers.
Bulls need to get back on track
After a six-game winning streak stretching past the All-Star break, the Bulls have lost four straight and have fallen out of winning the East for the moment. Three of those losses came against contenders: Memphis, Milwaukee, and Miami. Now the Bulls get a chance to right the ship against Philadelphia.
Chicago has the ninth-best offense, scoring 112.5 points per game. They are the top team in efficiency, converting 48.4% of attempts, and second in 3-point efficiency, shooting 37.6%. The Bulls have to play within themselves and get transition opportunities against the surging 76ers.
The Bulls are 19th defensively, in part due to injuries to Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, and Patrick Williams. If they can get them back in time for the playoffs, it will help immensely.
Betting Prediction
Nikola Vucevic is questionable with a hamstring injury, and if he can’t go, that helps the case for Philly -7.5 as it gives Joel Embiid a matchup advantage. While Harden sat the second game of a back-to-back, he should be good to go Monday night as he’s not listed on the latest injury report.
The Bulls are 36-27-1 against the spread and 33-30-1 on over/unders. This over/under of 232 is more their speed compared to Philly, but with Harden in the lineup, it feels like a safer over even with blowout potential.
Philadelphia, meanwhile, is 31-31-3 against the spread and 28-33-2 on over/unders. It is also 18-13 at home versus Chicago’s 15-15 road record.
Philly is 3-1 against the spread and 4-0 on over/unders when Harden plays, and covering -7.5 is reasonable.
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