Can The 76ers Finally Get In The Win Column Without Joel Embiid?

The Kings vs Sixers Hardwood Clash Will Be Featured On Friday's ESPN Telecast

After a fantastic start to the regular season, the Philadelphia 76ers have started to fall down the NBA standings. The 76ers have lost four of their last five games, including losses to below .500 teams like the Bulls, Jazz, and Hawks.

Part of the issue is that the former MVP, Joel Embiid, is currently dealing with a knee injury.

The 76ers were hopeful Embiid would be available in their next game against the Sacramento Kings. But he’s already been ruled out.

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So, while the 76ers look for answers, the Kings have won four of their last five games. Granted, the Kings’ previous two games were against some of the NBA’s worst teams, like the Pistons and Hornets. But Sacramento is still standing at 23-14 on the season.

With Embiid out, the 76ers are sitting at -1 with the total at 241 against the Kings. The Under is juiced to -115.

Let’s take a look at this Kings vs Sixers hardwood clash for Friday’s featured ESPN matchup.

Kings logo Kings vs 76ers 76ers logo

Day/Time:
Location: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
Streaming: Watch Live Sports

Kings vs Sixers Hardwood Clash

The Kings and 76ers have been very good against the spread to start the season. The Kings have covered 20 of 37 games, while the 76ers have won 23 games against the spread in 36 NBA matchups.

Meanwhile, the total has hit the Over in just over half of Sacramento’s games. For Philadelphia, the Over has hit more consistently in 21 of those 36 games this season.

The 76ers are 13-6 at home, but the Kings are 10-7 on the road.

Kevin Huerter’s Status

Sacramento sharpshooter didn’t return in Wednesday’s game against the Hornets after a left ankle injury. He played just 41 seconds and had one foul before leaving the game.

Huerter had made his second consecutive start on Wednesday when Chris Duarte was sent to the bench. But if Huerter has to miss any time, including Friday, you can expect Duarte and Malik Monk to see an uptick in minutes and potential usage.

He’s scored 9.5 points and has 3.6 rebounds with 2.5 assists per game this season. However, he’s only shooting 41.6% from the field. Yet, he finally got another opportunity to start and is now injured in his second start since moving to the second unit months ago. Huerter is currently listed as a game-time decision.

Can Tobias Harris Continue To Be A Legitimate Scoring Threat?

Joel Embiid won’t return to the Philadelphia lineup against the Kings. Therefore, they’ll need more consistency from other scoring options not named Embiid or Tyrese Maxey.

All eyes are on Tobias Harris.

Harris is currently the third-leading scorer, averaging 17.4 points per game with 6.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists. He’s also shooting 51% from the floor.

One of his best games of the season came on Wednesday after he scored 32 points in an overtime loss to Atlanta. Harris shot 12-for-24 in 41 minutes and only took two three-pointer attempts in the entire game.

This was only the second time where he scored more than 30 points in a single game. We’ll see if Harris can answer the bell when his name is called without Embiid.

No Embiid Again

The Philadelphia 76ers are 23-13 on the season. But they’re actually 21-6 when Embiid plays this season and 2-7 without him.

With Embiid out, there are concerns that Philadelphia will lose another game.

It starts with the offensive end. The 76ers have added 120.2 points per 100 possessions and get to the foul line at the second-highest rate in the NBA. But Embiid is mostly the reason why the Sixers are top-tier offensively. Without him, everything drops.

Still, Philadelphia has only turned the ball over 12.1% of the time, which ranks as the best turnover percentage in the NBA.

The 76ers don’t always get the highest-quality looks from the field. However, the Kings have allowed a 56.6% effective field goal percentage and have a free throw rate of 21.7.

Sacramento will keep the 76ers away from second chances. However, at home, Philadelphia might not need that many second chances. Instead, they’ll get good looks, expecting the ball to go in on the first shot attempt with guys like Harris and Maxey.

Meanwhile, the Kings are slightly above average offensively, scoring 117.8 points per 100 possessions. Sacramento has shot a 56.3% effective field goal percentage but has only added 26.7% of offensive rebounds. They’ve also got an 18 free throw rate, which isn’t all that good.

The 76ers foul at a high rate and aren’t the best on the defensive glass. It’s likely that the Kings will earn more second chances. However, the 76ers should be the NBA team to earn more turnovers and will likely out-shoot the Kings on their home floor.

After all, the 76ers have allowed 112.4 points per 100 possessions. That’s good for 6th in the NBA.

It’s unclear if the Kings will have Kevin Huerter for this game. We also don’t know about Philadelphia’s Robert Covington. However, I’d like to think the Sixers can regroup and get back on track after that overtime loss.

The NBA basketball schedule can sometimes be grueling. The Kings are experiencing that now with their third consecutive road game. They’re far away from home, going from Sacramento to Philadelphia. Therefore, one of our NBA betting picks today includes the 76ers at -1 (-110) in this Kings vs Sixers hardwood clash.

For NBA betting news, NBA odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.


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