Oklahoma City Thunder @ Philadelphia 76ers - January 14, 2025

Tonight, the fans at Wells Fargo Center are in for a real treat with the Oklahoma City Thunder rolling into town to face off against the Philadelphia 76ers. Looking at the odds, it’s no surprise that oddsmakers have opened up with the Thunder as hefty -12.5-point favorites. Based on recent performances, I can see why they’re favored, and I’m ready to put my money where my mouth is.

Let’s break this down a bit. The Thunder come in sporting an impressive record of 32-7 straight up and cover the spread more often than not at 26-13 against the spread (ATS). They’ve been on fire lately—7-1 ATS in their last eight games and an even more staggering 12-1 SU in their last thirteen matchups. Their latest game against the Wizards was a statement win, lighting up the scoreboard with 136 points. If this team keeps pouring it on like that, it’s hard to imagine them slowing down.

On the flip side, we have a struggling 76ers squad sitting at just 15-22 SU and a dismal 14-23 ATS. Their offensive stats are less than stellar; averaging about 107.6 points per game with shooting percentages that don’t inspire confidence—44.9% from field goals and only about 33.9% from beyond the arc isn’t going to cut it against a high-octane offense like Oklahoma City’s. Not to mention their recent form: they’ve lost five straight ATS at home and haven’t shown much fight lately, going just 2-5 SU over their last seven games.

When you look deeper into defensive stats, Oklahoma City’s defense gives them an edge when matched against Philadelphia’s offense. The Thunder average over three more rebounds per game defensively and also generate more steals while committing nearly identical fouls per game as Philly does. All these numbers tell me one thing—the Thunder are well-rounded both offensively and defensively.

Now let’s talk totals for tonight’s matchup, which opened at 216.5 points. Given how Oklahoma City has been racking up points while also playing solid defense, I’m leaning toward this being an UNDER night despite their recent OVER success against lower-tier teams like Washington. The Sixers’ struggles to score will likely play right into that prediction.

So here’s what I’m feeling: I predict that Oklahoma City takes care of business tonight by beating Philadelphia comfortably—covering that -12.5-point spread without breaking too much of a sweat—and keeping things under that total of 216.5 points due to Philly’s ineptitude on offense.

In betting circles like mine, sometimes you’ve got to trust your gut alongside those cold hard stats—and right now, everything is pointing towards an easy night for the Thunder! Just remember to throw your lucky charm in your pocket before you place those bets; superstition can’t hurt when you’re putting some cash on the line!