The Los Angeles Lakers (-3.5) are in prime position to take advantage of an injury-ravaged Philadelphia 76ers team. With Paul George, Joel Embiid, and others sidelined for the Sixers, the burden falls squarely on Tyrese Maxey, making this a tough matchup for Philly. Meanwhile, the Lakers have LeBron James and Anthony Davis running the show, giving them a clear edge. Let’s dive into the details behind this pick and why Los Angeles is the best bet to win and cover.
Best Bet: Lakers -3.5 at 76ers (-110, BetMGM)
The Sixers recently erased a seven-game losing streak by winning two in a row against the Cavaliers and Bulls, but then lost Paul George due to yet another injury. As a result, George, Joel Embiid, Andre Drummond, Caleb Martin and Kenyon Martin Jr. are all out, joining Jared McCain, who is out for the rest of the season. Guerschon Yabusele is also banged up and questionable, which means that the starting five could realistically be Tyrese Maxey, Eric Gordon, Kelly Oubre Jr., Justin Edwards and Adem Bona with Reggie Jackson, Ricky Council IV, Kyle Lowry and Pete Nance coming off the bench.
With that being said, a huge burden will be on the shoulders of Maxey, who will realistically have to have a huge game, not only as a scorer, but as a facilitator.
Gabe Vincent, Christian Wood and Jalen Hood-Schifino are all out for the Lakers while Rui Hachimura is questionable, but Los Angeles should have a distinct advantage with both LeBron James and Anthony Davis running the show. If Hachimura sits, Dorian Finney-Smith will start again, alongside Austin Reaves and Max Christie while Dalton Knecht, Jaxson Hayes, Jarred Vanderbilt and Shake Milton will come off the bench.
Anthony Davis will have a distinct advantage down low, especially since he’ll be entering this game with a ton of confidence after dropping 42 points and 23 rebounds in 37 minutes against the Hornets last night.
The 76ers have gone just 5-14-1 ATS (26.3% hit rate, 2nd-worst in NBA) at home and 8-16-2 ATS (33.3% hit rate, 3rd-worst in NBA) as an underdog this season, so there’s no way I’m going to trust them in this matchup. Give me the Lakers to win and cover on the road.
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