Los Angeles Lakers at Philadelphia 76ers Betting Preview/Prop Pick

The 24-24 Los Angeles Lakers head to Philadelphia to face the 28-19 76ers on Thursday night. Los Angeles is coming off their biggest win of the year over the Brooklyn Nets. They have a chance now to get over the .500 mark, something they desperately need to do.

Unfortunately for them, they aren’t getting handed an easy opponent. Philadelphia is one of the best in the East.

Philadelphia is on a two-game winning streak, beating San Antonio and New Orleans. Joel Embiid just had a monster night against New Orleans, putting up 42 points. He’s brought his average points per game to 29.0, one of the best in the NBA.

With Anthony Davis listed as “day-to-day” with the Lakers, Embiid can take control here. Unless they falter against LA.

Los Angeles Lakers: A 9-12 road record doesn’t bode well

The Los Angeles Lakers are awful on the road, going 9-12 this season. Considering the struggles they’ve had this year with injuries, it isn’t shocking. This game against the 76ers is another one where they might have trouble.

Anthony Davis is still dealing with a knee injury which means he could be out again. Luckily for them, LeBron James is back in the lineup.

Not having to rely on Russell Westbrook to score points is great for the Lakers. Westbrook has turned into more of a liability with his frequent turnovers.

The Lakers, even with the injuries, still have a top ten scoring offense, averaging 111.21 points per game. The main focus for them against Philadelphia is stopping Joel Embiid. If they can’t do that, they’ve easily lost this game.

Philadelphia 76ers: Can they keep the win streak going?

The Philadelphia 76ers have been a nightmare for teams recently. Stopping Joel Embiid is something you can’t do unless you have a powerful big man yourself. The Lakers, who will likely be missing Anthony Davis, are without a powerful big man.

We expect Embiid to dominate the inside, similar to how he performed against the Pelicans. Another monster game is on the way.

Philadelphia’s offense might not put up a lot of points per game, 107.74, but they capitalize in certain areas. For instance, take free-throw shooting; the 76ers shoot 81.61% from the free-throw line.

The Lakers, on the other hand, shoot an awful 73.83%, nearly last in the NBA. Philadelphia’s ability to capitalize is what sets them apart. That and, of course, Joel Embiid. 

Our pick for the Los Angeles Lakers at Philadelphia 76ers

After looking at each of these teams, the choice becomes clear for us. The Los Angeles Lakers without Anthony Davis have a very tough time winning games. Sure, they beat the Brooklyn Nets, who are dealing with injuries of their own.

The difference between the Nets and the 76ers is Joel Embiid, a dominant big man in the paint. The Lakers won’t have an answer for him.

It also helps that the 76ers only need to cover a 2.5-point spread, which isn’t much. They’ve gone 24-23 against the spread this year, which is much better than the Lakers 20-28 ATS record. Look for the 76ers to get another win at home, covering the spread and the total going under. 

DunkelIndex Free Pick: Philadelphia 76ers -2.5, UNDER

Prop Pick

LA Lakers (-115) UNDER 108.5 Points

Philadelphia is allowing 105.7 points per game on defense, which ranks No. 8 in the league. That average decreases to 105.4 at home, which ranks No. 9. Scores have gone UNDER in five of the Sixers’ last six home games versus the Lakers.

With Dunkel predicting a Philadelphia victory by the score of 111-104, take the Lakers (-115) to finish UNDER their Vegas team total of 108.5 points against the Sixers.

Matisse Thybulle (-105) Over 1.5 Steals

Thybulle rejoined the Sixers lineup this week after missing five games with a shoulder injury and had an immediate impact in the team's win over the Pelicans. He's averaging 2.4 steals per game over his last 10 games. With the Lakers turning the ball over an average of almost 8.5 times per game due to steals, look for Thybulle to go over the line of 1.5 tonight. 

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