Written by Rohit Ghosh
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Sixers vs T-Wolves: Embiid vs Towns
It's a battle of a couple of the league's youngest teams Tuesday night as the Philadelphia 76ers - led by big man Joel Embiid - host Karl-Anthony Towns and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Philly's a 5-point home underdog, with the total set at 203.
Best Bet: After 10,000-plus simulations, there's a four-star hot trend pick on the total, with AccuScore data setting it 2 points lower than most books in Vegas. 201 compared to 203.5 in Vegas. The line opened up at 206.
The total combined score stays UNDER 203.5 in about 55 percent of simulations.
AccuScore has NBA picks for every game against the spread on the Over/Under and on the moneyline... AccuScore's Expert NBA Picks
• The total has gone UNDER in 5 of the TWolves' last fives games at home against the 76ers. [Supports AccuScore simulation data.]
• The UNDER is 8-3-1 in 76ers' last 12 games overall. [Supports AccuScore simulation data.]
What to Watch For: Anyone familiar with the league this season knows this matchup features a pair of big men poised to dominate the league for the next decade.
Embiid finished with 23 points to finish the 2016 calendar year off, notching a 124-122 victory at Denver. Last time these two went at it, Embiid had what's still one of his worst performances of the season, finishing with 10 points and 10 rebounds in a largely frustrating performance.
Towns had 25 points on 12-of-18 shooting, adding 10 rebounds and 2 blocks.
Expect a much more competitive one-on-one statistical battle this time around. Keep an eye on Minnesota using C Gorgui Dieng to help Towns out on the perimeter defensively, allowing him to conserve some energy for offense.
Projected Individual Stats
Joel Embiid:: 18 points [6-13 FG, 1-3 3PM], 6 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 assists, 1 steal, 3 TOs
Karl-Anthony Towns: 23 points [10-19 FG, 1-3 3PM], 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal, 3 TOs