Two Eastern Conference mammoths will be testing each other this Thursday when the Philadelphia 76ers meet the Cleveland Cavaliers. This is a must-watch game that can get even more thrilling with a bet. Speaking of which, it’s time to check out the odds and our picks for this Sixers-Cavs showdown.
Catch this game live on Thursday, December 1, at 8 AM, Manila time
Away: Philadelphia 76ers (12-9/5-4 Away)
Projected Starting Five:
- PG: Shake Milton
- SG: De’Anthony Melton
- SF: Tobias Harris
- PF: PJ Tucker
- C: Joel Embiid
Even without James Harden, the Sixers are winning games. They have won seven of their last nine games and will enter Friday’s outing on a three-game win streak. It says a lot about the team’s depth, the ability of Joel Embiid to lead the Sixers, and above all, their defense. The Sixers have victimized the likes of the Milwaukee Bucks and the Brooklyn Nets in that aforementioned nine-game span, with Embiid returning to action last Tuesday in a 104-101 win over the Atlanta Hawks at home after missing four games due to a foot issue and scoring 30 points on 9/18 shooting from the field.
Philly’s suffocating defense has been allowing just 105.8 points per game this season – the best in the NBA. The Sixers do that by playing on a deliberate pace, with the team ranking 27th in the league in terms of possessions per 100 minutes, thus helping limit opposing teams to just 83.7 field-goal attempts per contest. Philadelphia is 8-1 against the spread in its last nine games overall.
Home: Cleveland Cavaliers (13-8/8-1 Home)
Projected Starting Five:
- PG: Darius Garland
- SG: Donovan Mitchell
- SF: Isaac Okoro
- PF: Dean Wade
- C: Evan Mobley
The Cavs are coming off a 100-88 loss to the Toronto Raptors last Tuesday to finish a three-game road trip with a 1-2 straight-up record. The good news for Cleveland is that it is finally back home again. The Cavs are one of the best-covering home teams this season. In fact, they are 8-1 ATS at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, so far. Regardless of location, Cleveland has become one of the best ATS bets of late, having covered the spread in eight of its last 10 games.
As for their performance on the court, a lot will depend Thursday on how Donovan Mitchell will fare after shooting just 3/11 and scoring only eight points in the loss to Toronto. Mitchell rarely has a dud this season and even against Philly’s stout defense, the former Louisville Cardinals star is the special type of player who can find a way to cook on any given night against any opponent. The Cavs will be pretty thin in the middle, though, with Kevin Love and Jarrett Allen out. They still have Evan Mobley and Dean Wade to help out on both ends of the court. On the season, the Cavs are top 10 in both adjusted offensive and adjusted defensive ratings.
PREDICTIONS:
Spread: The Sixers (+4) cover the spread.
Over/Under: The total (212.0) hits the Under.
