The James Harden era in Philadelphia is off and running and the 76ers have won all three games he's played. The Sixers welcome the Eastern Conference rival Cleveland Cavaliers to town for a Friday showdown that could be a postseason preview.
Betting lines are favoring Philly with Harden in the fold, but can the Cavs keep things close on the road? We explore both teams' chances in our free NBA picks and predictions for the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Philadelphia 76ers.
Cavaliers vs 76ers odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
The 76ers opened as 7-point favorites on Thursday night with the total set at 219.5. Philly has moved slightly to -7.5 at some books at the time of this writing while the total has remained steady.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until tip-off and be sure to check out the full NBA odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Cavaliers vs 76ers predictions
Predictions made on 3/3/2022 at 8:45 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Cavaliers vs 76ers game info
• Location: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
• Date: Friday, March 4, 2022
• Tip-off: 7:00 p.m. ET
• TV: Bally Sports Ohio, NBCS-Philadelphia
Cavaliers vs 76ers betting preview
Key injuries
Cavaliers: Rajon Rondo PG (Out), Caris LeVert SG (Out), Collin Sexton PG (Out).
76ers: No injuries to report.
Find our latest NBA injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Cavaliers are 0-6 against the spread in their last six games. Find more NBA betting trends for Cavaliers vs. 76ers.
Cavaliers vs 76ers picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Spread analysis
The Philadelphia 76ers have won all three games — SU and ATS — with James Harden in the lineup, and each has been by a margin of 15 or more, including a 31-point demolition of the Minnesota Timberwolves last Friday night. Harden himself has impressed, scoring between 26 and 29 points in each game while also pouring in big rebounds and assists totals in the process.
Two of those three wins came against the lowly New York Knicks, who have lost six straight and are barely a basketball team at the moment. In theory, the Cleveland Cavaliers should put up more of a fight. For one, the Cavaliers own the fourth-best defensive efficiency mark in the association and still have one of the better scoring differentials in the conference.
The problem is the Cavs haven't looked themselves in their recent stumble. All-Star guard Darius Garland has missed time to injury, but he returned to the lineup last game, a 21-point loss to the Charlotte Hornets. The Cavs have also dropped games to the Timberwolves and Pistons since the All-Star break and fell 124-116 to the Hawks just before the ASG.
On the season, betting on the Cavs has been a profitable endeavor as they've gone 34-26-2 ATS. It used to look better. Cleveland hasn't covered a spread in its last six games, a streak that started with a 103-93 road loss to the 76ers. The only difference between then and now is that game didn't feature Harden.
The 76ers will lose again eventually, but the two-headed beast of Harden and Joel Embiid has immediately clicked. Trusting the Cavaliers to lose by more than seven points may be difficult due to their stingy defense, on the whole, this season. But, holes have started to develop and they haven't seen the Harden-Embiid tandem yet.
Garland will have to have a huge game to keep Cleveland in it and considering his recent injury issues, that doesn't feel like a sure thing.
Prediction: 76ers -7.0 (-110)
Over/Under analysis
The 76ers have typically played a grinding style this season, owning the 29th fastest pace of play in the NBA. Only the Miami Heat play slower on the regular. At an average of 108.5 points per game (10th in the East), this otherwise modest total may seem daunting, especially since the Sixers have gone 27-32-2 O/U on the season. Cleveland, likewise, has only gone 23-38-1 O/U, likely due to them holding opponents to 103 points per game, which is the best in the league.
Still, the Under feels like a trap here. Each of Philly's last five games has hit the Over with the last Under coming in its last clash with Cleveland on February 12. Again, that game didn't feature Harden. Since his activation, the Over has hit with relative ease.
The Sixers allowed the Knicks to score 109 and 108, respectively, over their two games. While it's conceivable that the Cavs could lay an egg on offense — especially after only netting 98 points against the Hornets on Wednesday — I expect them to pick up the pace just to stay in the game with Harden & Co.
Prediction: Over 219.5 (-110)
Best bet
With both teams consistently playing to the Under all season, tagging the Over is too risky to put all my confidence behind it. For now, we'll take the Sixers -7.0. Harden's presence has elevated the 76ers and injected new life into what had generally been the Joel Embiid show. Now, that's worthwhile programming on its own, but Harden gives Philly more depth and more looks while also taking some of the pressure off Embiid to do everything himself.
The spread could move, and it's already 76ers -7.5 at some books, so shop around to get the best price.
Pick: 76ers -7.0 (-110)
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