Tip-off: Monday, 7:05 p.m. ET
Line: Utah -7.5, Total: 192.5

The Sixers will be looking to win their first game of the year when they host the Jazz on Monday night.

Utah is coming off of a very good win in New York, as the team defeated the Knicks 114-109 as a 2.5-point road favorite. The Jazz played some outstanding basketball in that one, as they hit 50.7% of their shots and turned the ball over just 10 times. The Sixers, meanwhile, are coming off of a 102-101 loss as 12-point home underdogs against the Cavaliers. Philadelphia is winless so far, but the team is a lot more competitive than it has been over the past few seasons. The Jazz are not going to take the Sixers lightly, and Philadelphia should be a bit concerned about that. That’s because Utah is 4-0 SU against the Sixers over the past three seasons and the Jazz won by 28 the last time they played in Wells Fargo Center (Oct. 30, 2015). One trend that really sticks out when looking at this game is the fact that the Sixers are an impressive 16-4 ATS against Northwest division opponents over the past three seasons. They are, however, just 6-19 ATS as a home underdog of 6.5 to 12 points over the past two seasons. PG George Hill (Hand) got hurt for Utah last game, and he is listed as questionable in this one. That’d be a big loss for the Jazz, as Hill has been superb to start the season.

PG George Hill (20.4 PPG, 5.0 APG, 1.0 SPG) has been sensational for the Jazz this season, but he could be out in this one. Luckily for Utah, SF Gordon Hayward is back for the team and would be more than willing to take over as the Jazz’s primary playmaker on Monday. Hayward played his first game of the year on Sunday and torched the Knicks for 28 points in 36 minutes. Look for him to be even better against the Sixers, as he likely knocked a ton of rust off on Sunday. SG Rodney Hood (17.6 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.0 SPG) can also handle the ball a bit. Hood is more of a scorer, as evidenced by his 43.2% shooting from the outside on 5.3 attempts per game. He’s an underrated passer, though, and the Jazz could turn to some pick-and-rolls with Hood handling the rock in this game. C Rudy Gobert (9.9 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 2.0 BPG) will, however, be the x-factor for Utah on Monday. Gobert has a tough matchup with Embiid in this one, and he is going to need to be smart defensively. Gobert fouled out of the game against the Knicks and has now picked up four or more fouls in three of the past four games. He’d really be hurting his team if he is forced to be on the bench for long spurts on Monday.

The Sixers have not won a game, but this is no longer a team that opponents are excited to play. C Joel Embiid (18.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 3.0 BPG) has proven to a superstar for Philadelphia and he is already the game’s most dominating paint presence. Embiid had 22 points, six boards and four blocks in 25 minutes against the Cavs on Saturday. He was 4-for-4 from three in that game and is now shooting 66.7% from the outside on 2.3 attempts per game. It’s crazy to think what he’ll do once his minute restriction is lifted, as his numbers are already All-Star worthy in just 22.0 MPG. Look for him to continue to play well on Monday, as he is likely too strong for Gobert to handle around the basket. Another guy that could play very well on Monday is PG Sergio Rodriguez (11.0 PPG, 8.2 APG, 4.4 RPG). Rodriguez has been a revelation for the Sixers this season, as he is a creative offensive player on a team that was missing exactly that last year. Rodriguez knows when to get his teammates involved and he is also a solid outside shooter. With George Hill either banged up or not playing, look for Rodriguez to be aggressive early and often in this one.