The Los Angeles Lakers (24-24) travel to Wells Fargo Center Thursday to take on the Philadelphia 76ers (28-19). Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Lakers vs. 76ers odds and lines, and make our expert NBA picks, predictions and bets.
The Lakers may just be 2-2 over their last 4, but with F Anthony Davis back, things are starting to trend up.
They took down a Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving-less Nets Tuesday in Davis’ return. The Lakers have altered between winning/covering and losing/not covering over their last 4.
They’re 5-5 against the spread (ATS) over their last 10 and 20-28 ATS on the season. LA is 9-12 on the road. As for Philly, they’re 11-10 at home, most recently taking down Pelicans, failing to cover as 11.5-point favorites.
However, Philly is 6-4 ATS over their last 10. With C Joel Embiid playing like the league’s MVP, the banged-up Sixers have been able to stay near the top of the Eastern Conference.
Lakers at 76ers odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:15 p.m. ET.
- Money line: Lakers +120 (bet $100 to win $120) | 76ers -145 (bet $145 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Lakers +2.5 (-107) | 76ers -2.5 (-115)
- Over/Under (O/U): 217.5 (O: -115 | U: -107)
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Lakers at 76ers key injuries
Lakers
- F Anthony Davis (knee) probable
76ers
- G Seth Curry (ankle) out
- G Danny Green (hip) questionable
- G Shake Milton (back) out
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Lakers at 76ers odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
76ers 111, Lakers 105
Money line
PASS on the spread. I like the Sixers at home, and I’d rather take the few points. Only 5 of Philly’s 47 games this season have ended with under a 3-point difference.
Against the spread
BET on the 76ERS -2.5 (-115).
Joel Embiid has been absolutely electric as of late. He has scored 50, 40, 38 and 42 over his last 4, and with Davis, who is the Lakers’ best interior defender, likely still on a minutes restriction from his MCL spread, I expect Embiid to feast.
The Lakers rank 26th in opponents points in the paint, giving up 49.5 per game. While the 76ers rank 20th in points in the paint, most of their offense will come out of the paint with doubles to Embiid, where they thrive with a plethora of shooters.
That should against be the story on Thursday. Furthermore, while these two teams are No. 12 and 13 in true shooting percentage, a major difference is turnovers, where Philly sits 3rd in turnover rate and LA 21st.
Considering Embiid’s presence, the restrictions on Davis and the strength of each team, I’d side with Philly here.
Lastly, Philly has a similar roster to a season ago, when they lost just 7 home games (the second fewest at home in the NBA). They’ll undoubtedly be better than marginally over .500 at home. That advantage should help.
Over/Under
Slight “LEAN” to the UNDER 217.5 (-107).
Given the Lakers three-point shooting and pace, they’ve actually gone 26-21-1 O/U this season. However, the Sixers are the opposite and possess a 19-26-2 O/U record.
They’re one of the slowest teams in the NBA (27th in pace), often playing in the half court through Embiid or F Tobias Harris. They’re 4-6 O/U in their last 10.
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