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Blazers vs 76ers Predictions & Odds (Mar. 10)

Chris Amberley

by Chris Amberley in NBA Basketball

Updated Mar 9, 2023 · 6:51 PM PST

Joel Embiid celebration
Mar 7, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) celebrates his shot against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the third quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
  • Philadelphia is laying 8.5 points in the Trail Blazers vs 76ers odds on Friday night
  • James Harden (foot) is expected to play after sitting out Philly’s last game
  • See the latest Trail Blazers vs 76ers odds here, plus injury updates and best bets

Two of the league’s premier scorers square off on Friday in Philly, as the 76ers (43-22, 24-10 home) host the Trail Blazers (31-35, 14-20 away).

Portland’s Damian Lillard and Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid rank third and first respectively in points per game, but online sportsbooks don’t believe Lillard can generate nearly enough offense to keep the Trail Blazers competitive in the NBA odds.

Trail Blazers vs 76ers Odds

Team Spread Moneyline Total
Portland Trail Blazers +8.5 (-110) +320 O 229.5 (-110)
Philadelphia 76ers -8.5 (-110) -390 U 229.5 (-110)

The 76ers are currently favored by 8.5 points, in a contest with a total of 229. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 pm ET at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA, and will mark the second and final meeting between these two teams this season.

 

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Odds as of March 9 at DraftKings Sportsbook

Trail Blazers vs 76ers Betting Trends

Philly enters play in third place in the East’s draw of the NBA playoff bracket, two games behind the second place Celtics. The Sixers have reeled off three straight wins, putting up ridiculous offensive numbers along the way.

Philadelphia is averaging 132 points per game over their last three contests, and boast the league’s number one offensive rating over the past five games. Embiid is averaging 37 points in four contests in March, racking up 39 and 42 point efforts in his last two starts.

The Sixers latest victory was a 23 point pounding of Minnesota. The team shot 49% from the field and 60% from three, and did so without James Harden. Philly’s leading distributor, and second leading scorer, sat out with a foot injury but is expected to play on Friday.

It’s scary to think how good this team can be if everyone is healthy, as all three of Embiid, Harden and Tyrese Maxey average north of 20 points per contest.

Defensively, the Sixers have been a bit lax lately, letting the offense carry the load. Don’t mistake that for a lack of defensive talent however, as this is still a top-eight unit in defensive efficiency this season.

Defense has certainly not been a calling card of the Trail Blazers this season, which spells trouble against such an explosive 76ers offense.

NBA Offensive Rating Ranks – Last 5 Games

Team Rank
Philadelphia 76ers 1
Sacramento Kings 2
Milwaukee Bucks 3
Golden State Warriors 4
Indiana Pacers 5

Portland enters play ranked 27th in defensive rating, and 26th in enemy field goal percentage. They’re allowing opponents to bury triples at a top-eight rate, and get absolutely owned on the glass. The Trail Blazers are the sixth worst rebounding team in the NBA, and they force turnovers at the ninth lowest rate.

Needless to say, if Portland is going to stay competitive in this game, they’ll need to rely on their offense. The Trail Blazers are a top-seven unit per offensive rating this season, in large part thanks to Lillard.

He’s averaging over 32 points per night this season, scoring 40 or more three times in his past seven starts. That includes a 71 point performance two weeks ago versus Houston, when he buried 22 shots, including 13 triples.

Trail Blazers vs 76ers Prediction

Reinforcements could be on the way as well for Portland in the form of Anfernee Simons. The team’s second leading scorer has missed the last four games with an ankle injury, but has been upgraded to questionable for Friday’s contest.

Portland currently sits in 12th in the West, one game out of a Play-In Tournament berth. They need to start stacking victories quickly if they want to find themselves playing postseason basketball, but Friday night in Philly is not the place to look for W’s.

The 76ers haven’t lost to a team outside of the playoff picture with Embiid in the lineup since January 12th. Philly looks poised for another victory on Friday, but I’m not about to lay 8.5 points. The total on the other hand, is quite appealing.

The 76ers have gone over in three of their past four games. They have a major advantage on offense versus a lousy Trail Blazers defense, while Portland has the ability to punch back with a strong offense of its own.

Trail Blazers games have produced at least 230 points 16 times in their last 21 outings. They failed to reach that number in two straight, but don’t forget Simmons was not in the lineup. His presence is critical as it takes some of the pressure and defensive attention off of Lillard.

Each of the last 10 games Simons has suited up for has exceeded 230 points, and if he’s in the lineup on Friday we should be targeting the over in this matchup as well.

Pick: Over 229.5 (-110)

 

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