It’s a light night in the NBA as one of the two games on the slate features the Los Angeles Lakers (24-24, 9-12 Away) visiting the Philadelphia 76ers (28-19, 11-10 Home) on Thursday. Tip-off from Wells Fargo Center is scheduled for 7:30 pm EST on TNT.
This is the first of two meetings between the two teams, with Philly set for the return trip to L.A. in late March. The Sixers swept the two-game season series a year ago and have won three out of the last four head-to-head matchups overall.
Los Angeles Lakers Preview
The Lakers are in the midst of a six-game road trip, their longest sojourn of the year. L.A. is 2-1 thus far on the swing, with wins over the Magic and short-handed Nets, sandwiched around a loss to the Heat in Miami.
In their win over Brooklyn last time out on Tuesday, LeBron James led the way with 33 points, his second straight game notching that many. The King has led the Lakers in scoring in 18 straight, carrying the load in the absence of Anthony Davis, though the Brow made his return against the Nets, pitching in eight points in 25 minutes.
The victory got the Lake Show back to the .500 mark, but they still sit all the way back in 9th place in the Western Conference, four games ahead of the Blazers for the 10th and final playoff spot. After departing Philly, they’ll travel to Charlotte on a back-to-back with the Hornets and then finish up this current roadie in Atlanta for a date with the Hawks on Sunday.
Philadelphia 76ers Preview
The Sixers haven’t had to play back-to-backs in two weeks and won’t again for another two weeks as they attempt to gain some ground in the tightly-contested Eastern Conference. Philadelphia has won two in a row and three of their last four, most recently defending their home floor in a win over New Orleans on Tuesday.
Joel Embiid has matched LeBron in leading his team in scoring for 18 straight games, averaging 42.5 points per game over the team’s last four. The Sixers’ superstar has ascended once again into the MVP conversation after finishing second to the Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic a year ago. Embiid has seen his odds drop dramatically over the last two weeks, as a relative long shot at 33-1, all the way into one of the top three favorites.
The Ben Simmons’ situation still looms over the team with the trade deadline quickly approaching, and though rumors have swirled around the name of James Harden, the Nets are shunning any in-season trade proposals for The Beard, according to reports.
Lakers at 76ers Betting Lines & Pick
- Spread: 76ers -2.5
- Moneyline: Lakers: +116 | 76ers -136
- Over/Under: 218
This spot favors the home team, as despite winning by ten against the Pelicans on Tuesday, Philly failed to cover the double-digit spread of 11.5. And over their last six games, the Sixers are 6-0 ATS after not covering in the previous game. AD might be back, but it won’t be enough on Thursday.
100% up to $3,000 Bonus
Bovada is our most recommended ONLINE CASINO and POKER ROOM for US players with excellent deposit options. Get your 100% signup bonus today.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.