76ers vs Lakers Odds, Spread and Picks

• The Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Lakers matchup on March 25th
• MVP candidates Joel Embiid and LeBron James are both out for this one
• Get the latest odds, betting preview and a pick below

This was set to be a headline matchup. Unfortunately, the Sixers and Lakers meeting on March 25th is not what many neutrals hoped it would be. LeBron James (ankle), Marc Gasol (conditioning) and Anthony Davis (Achilles) are out for the reigning champions. Joel Embiid (knee) and Seth Curry (ankle) are out for the Sixers, who remain atop the Eastern Conference on the back of some stellar performances from Tobias Harris.

Philly is 4.5-point favorites. Doc Rivers’ team might be without two starters, including their best player, but there’s no question they have more talent on their roster than the Lakers right now.

Sixers vs Lakers Odds

Odds taken on Mar 25th

Sixers Find a Way

It hasn’t always been pretty, but the Sixers have won seven of eight since the break. Tobias Harris has been the star of the show for Philly. The former Clipper is scoring almost 23 per game over this run, a better mark than Jayson Tatum and Steph Curry. He’s shooting 50% from three, 48% from the field, and dishing out over four and a half dimes per contest.

This is the best stretch of Harris’ Sixers career, and it’s coming at the perfect time.

Tony Bradley has also been a surprise contributor. Picked up as third-string starter, Bradley is starting at the five, and he’s coming off a stellar performance against the Warriors. Bradley went a perfect eight-for-eight from the field for 18 points alongside 11 boards, two steals and two blocks.

That’s it!!! I’ve seen enough. Build around Tony Bradley @sixers

— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) March 12, 2021

Ben Simmons’ offensive production has been up and down as ever, but he’s been more consistently aggressive over the last month or so. This was rewarded with 14 free throw attempts against Golden State.

Thursday might be all about trade deadline rumors for Sixers fans, but continuing this run would be a real boost for Doc Rivers’ team as they attempt to hold off the Brooklyn Nets for the one seed in the Eastern Conference.

Lakers Offense Struggles

As expected, the Lakers offense has been terrible without LeBron James. It was already struggling, and it has got much worse. Los Angeles is shooting under 42% from the field over their last three. Only the Chicago Bulls have a worse offensive rating. While this isn’t a surprise, it is a concern for Frank Vogel. The Lakers risk free-falling into the play-in race if they cannot generate more efficient offense.

https://twitter.com/_JasonLT/status/1374850406048690177

The Sixers are not ideal opponents. Losing Embiid was meant to hurt them on defense as much as it did on offense, but that hasn’t been the case. Philly leads the league in defensive rating over these six games without their MVP candidate.

They are running teams off the three-point line, giving up the second-fewest three-point attempts in that span. A combination of Harris, Simmons, Dwight Howard and Bradley has helped them remain a force on the glass – they are top seven in offensive and defensive rebounding percentage since Embiid’s injury.

These are two teams leaning heavily on their defenses. In Curry’s absence, defensive phenom Matisse Thybulle is getting more minutes. There are going to be very few easy buckets for this Lakers offense, which needs all the help it can get at the moment.

Philly Has Enough

Five of Philly’s seven wins since the All-Star break have been by 10 or more points. Harris is playing like an All-Star. The defense has been stifling opponents. The Sixers should have too much for the Lakers on Thursday, who are 5-10 ATS in non-conference games this season.

.@tobias31 is the most professional & consistent star player in the @NBA – gives us a chance to win every night & delivers in crunch time

— Daryl Morey 🗽🏀 (@dmorey) March 24, 2021

Backing the Sixers to cover is good value here. These Lakers are on a run of three heavy losses, and they are still searching for an identity without their two stars. It’s hard to see how they can compete with Philadelphia.

Having scored 20 or more in seven of his last nine, some might be tempted by Harris to score 20+ and a Sixers win at +112.

• Pick: Sixers -4.5 (-110)