Philadelphia 76ers vs Oklahoma City Thunder Prediction & Picks - NBA

Prediction published on 3/19/25, 11:58 AM  by Paul Tamayo | Modified on 3/19/25 at 11:59 AM in NBA Picks

The Philadelphia 76ers (23-45) visit the Oklahoma City Thunder (56-12) on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, at the Paycom Center.

The Thunder won in their first matchup with the Sixers, 118-102. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 32 points on 12-15 shooting in that game. Jalen Williams contributed 24 points and 6 assists.

Oklahoma City has won 10 of their last 11 games, including a recent 121-105 drubbing of Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. During that span, SGA has averaged 36.2 points on an excellent 67.5% True Shooting. 

However, the Thunder has opted to sit out SGA against the Sixers for load management reasons. OKC will also be without Williams and Luguentz Dort in this game. 

With the Thunder missing key players, the Sixers could make this an interesting game. Despite the absence of Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, and Joel Embiid, Philly has played good basketball in the last two games. Also, Sixers' midseason pickup Quentin Grimes is averaging 32.6 points in the last five games.

Both benches are dealing with numerous injuries, paving the way for a possible close game. The Sixers will be relying heavily on Grimes' scoring, while the Thunder will be leaning on Chet Holmgren and their top-ranked defensive system.