Are The Lakers Finally Improving On The Road?
The 76ers vs Lakers Odds Predict Philadelphia Has The Edge
The Los Angeles Lakers have won four of their last five games. However, they’ll have a tough challenge on the road against the Philadelphia 76ers.
While the Lakers are hot, the 76ers are not. Philadelphia has lost two of their last three games. However, the 76ers added a 127-123 win over the Thunder last time out.
This will be one of only two games between these teams in the regular season.
LeBron James has only missed one game for the Lakers through the first 17 matchups. The NBA cracked down on resting star players, and James has responded by playing almost every game.
But that begs the question. Will James start fatiguing, or can the Lakers continue winning with James on the floor?
Tonight, the Lakers are sitting at +4.5, with the total at 231.5 in anticipation that LeBron James will play in this game.
Take a look at the 76ers vs Lakers odds to start the week.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Date, time:
Location: Wells Fargo Center
Streaming: Live Sports Stream
76ers vs Lakers Odds
The Lakers are 5-5 against the spread in their last ten games. They’ve been consistent, trading wins and losses against the spread. If history repeats itself, the Lakers would lose against the spread in this one after earning a win against the Cavaliers against the spread last time out.
Meanwhile, the Under has hit in 11 of 17 games for the Lakers this year.
On the other hand, the 76ers most recently won against the spread with a 127-123 win over the Thunder. Philadelphia was a 1.5-point favorite and won by four.
In 16 games, the 76ers have hit the Over in nine of them. They’re also 6-3 at home, facing a Lakers team that is 3-5 on the road.
The 76ers have also defeated the Lakers in six straight games straight up.
The Lakers Can’t Hit Corner Threes
The corner three-pointer is 10% of the league’s shots. An average game included 17.6 of them.
The corner three has become one of the easiest shots in the NBA. Steph Curry acknowledged that the wide-open corner three is the greatest shot. Curry’s teammate, Klay Thompson, also believes that the corner three is one of the better options on the floor.
But the Lakers can’t seem to drain the corner three this year.
Los Angeles has attempted 29.3 three-pointers per game and has hit only 34.3% of shots from deep this season. A lot of those attempts are coming in the corner. The Lakers are getting high-quality looks, but the shots aren’t falling.
They’re making only 25% from the corner, which is a historically bad rate. To put this in context, the Hornets finished last in corner threes last year and shot 35%.
Joel Embiid Wants Another MVP!
Philadelphia 76ers’ star center, Joel Embiid, leads the league in points per game with 32.1. He’s also added 11.3 rebounds per game and has 6.3 assists per game as a center.
Embiid is shooting below 50% from the floor, but he was as dominant as ever in Philadelphia’s most recent game against the Thunder.
Embiid hasn’t earned a triple-double this season. But he came close. Embiid added 35 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists to snap the Thunder’s six-game winning streak in a 127-123 win.
He’s in contention for another MVP award with his play this season.
Los Angeles Will Get Beat On The Glass
The corner three isn’t the only area where the Lakers are struggling.
The Lakers have only grabbed 23.7% of offensive rebounds this season. That’s 29th in the NBA. That’s pushed them to the bottom ten in the NBA in points per 100 possessions. The Lakers have only scored 112.4 points per 100 possessions, which is 21st in the NBA.
While the Lakers typically get good looks and shoot a 55.3% effective field goal percentage, the 76ers have held teams to a 53.2% effective field goal percentage. Philadelphia will make it hard for Los Angeles to find good looks.
Still, the Lakers will find their way to the foul line at a solid rate in this game. They’ll also likely limit turnovers against a 76ers team that has earned only 13.2% of turnovers this NBA season.
Meanwhile, the 76ers are much more consistent offensively. The Lakers have scored 120.7 points per 100 possessions thanks to a low turnover rate, high offensive rebounding rate, and a high free throw rate.
Philadelphia is the best in the NBA at getting to the foul line. However, the Lakers have held teams to a 14.7 free throw rate this season. But even if the 76ers don’t get to the foul line as much, the Sixers should dominate the offensive glass. They’ve hauled in 30.6% of offensive rebounds and continue to limit turnovers to 13.1%.
The 76ers will still have more second chances to earn points.
It’s unlikely that we’ll have more than two games of NBA results between these two teams. We’d have to get the Lakers and Sixers into the finals to see more than two games beyond the regular season. However, the NBA odds have the 76ers getting into the NBA Finals at a higher probability than the Lakers.
Therefore, the 76ers, at home, have the advantage in this one when looking at the 76ers vs Lakers odds. Take Philadelphia at -4.5.
