It’s hard for NBA teams to get any worse than the Philadelphia 76ers. In the eyes of oddsmakers, though, the New York Knicks managed to do just that.
The Sixers were favored by 6.5 points to win Friday night’s home game against the Knicks. Why should we care at all? Because it marked the first time in the entire 2014-15 season that Philly was favored to win a game.
That’s no small feat for the Sixers, who lost 13 straight games to start the season, prompting the following nugget from ESPN’s Marc Stein in November.
[tweet https://twitter.com/ESPNSteinLine/status/536933299348713473 align=’center’]
Yet Philly has “improved” since then, entering Friday night’s contest with a 16-52 record, ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves (15-53) and Knicks (14-54) in the NBA’s crowded basement.
To put New York’s recent awfulness into perspective, the Knicks were 11-point favorites the first time they played the Sixers back in November. The good news (or bad news, if you’re hoping for a lucky bounce in the draft lottery): New York has won both its games against Philly this season.
Should be a thriller.
UPDATE: The Sixers indeed won, 97-81, so the Knicks couldn’t even cover the spread.
Thumbnail photo via Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports Images
