Lakers Visit Philly in Battle of Conference Leaders

Something’s got to give when Los Angeles (14-4 SU, 10-8 ATS) puts its perfect road record on the line against the Sixers (12-6, 9-9) and their league-best 9-1 home mark. Philadelphia has won the last two meetings at Wells Fargo Center and three of the last four overall, but oddsmakers opened LA as a 2-point favorite.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

Other than a game against Denver earlier this month when the Sixers were missing four starters due to COVID-19, this could mark the first time Philadelphia is an underdog at Wells Fargo Center since last January – against the Lakers. Philly routed LA 108-91 in that game as a 5-point home dog.

Los Angeles News & Notes

A huge effort from LeBron James allowed the Lakers to remain unbeaten on the road Monday as LA beat the Cavaliers 115-108 in Cleveland to improve to 10-0 SU on the highway.

James hit 19 of his 26 shots from the field – including seven of 11 from three-point land – and finished the game with 46 points, becoming just the fifth player in NBA history to score that many points in a game after turning 36 years old.

James’ big night overshadowed a poor performance from the rest of his teammates, especially from behind the arc. Excluding LeBron’s torrid shooting, the Lakers missed 18 of their 21 three-point attempts and were 23-for-65 from the field overall. LA was outscored 60-52 in the paint, allowed 25 points and 17 rebounds to Andre Drummond and entered the fourth quarter trailing by two.

It’s a somber week for the Lakers, who took the day off Tuesday to honor the one-year anniversary of Kobe Bryant’s tragic passing, and playing in Philadelphia will evoke some strong emotions as well. Not only was Bryant a native of the City of Brotherly Love, but the Lakers found out about his tragic helicopter accident while flying home to LA from a game in Philadelphia last January.

Philadelphia News & Notes

The Sixers were a far better team last year at home than on the road, and that tendency has continued this season even with no fans in the stands. Philadelphia’s 9-1 SU record at Wells Fargo Center is the best home record in the NBA, compared to a pedestrian 3-5 record away from Philly. Dating back to last year, the Sixers are now a sizzling 20-8 ATS in their last 28 as hosts.

Philadelphia is coming off a 15-point loss at Detroit on Monday, when the 76ers allowed the 4-13 Pistons to shoot 50 percent from the field and enjoy a 47-36 advantage on the glass.

Ben Simmons scored just 11 points in 21 minutes after getting into early foul trouble, an issue for Philadelphia all night as the Sixers sent Detroit to the free-throw line 38 times. Tobias Harris was the lone bright spot offensively for Philadelphia, shooting 10-for-19 from the field and finishing with 25 points.

Early-season MVP candidate Joel Embiid sat out Monday’s game to rest a sore back, but Embiid wasn’t listed on the injury report for Wednesday and is expected to return. Philly’s star big man was on a tear before missing Monday’s contest, averaging nearly 38 points and 12 rebounds in his previous three games and scoring at least 33 in four of his last five. With Embiid in the lineup, Philadelphia is 12-2 SU this season.

Betting Pick: Sixers +2.5

With the Lakers playing their fourth straight road game and Philly in a bounce-back spot, taking more than a bucket with the home dog looks like the way to go in a game that could easily come down to the final possession.