The Philadelphia 76ers' season is the train wreck we can’t look away from. The Sixers have lost seven in a row, are currently out of the playoff picture, and the return of Joel Embiid doesn’t look any closer.
Tonight they’ll be double-digit home dogs when the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers come to town. My Cavaliers vs. 76ers predictions are betting it’s another long night for Philly.
Here are my NBA picks for this clash set to tip off at 7:00 p.m. ET at Wells Fargo Center on Friday, January 24.
Cavaliers vs 76ers prediction
My best bet
76ers team total Under 109.5 (-115 at bet365)
My analysis
This Philadelphia 76ers' season is crumbling before our eyes, and to say tonight’s matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers is a tough one is an understatement.
The Cavaliers own the NBA’s best record at 36-7 and are big 10.5-point road favorites for tonight’s matchup against the Sixers. What makes the Cavs so dangerous is that they do everything well. They score, get stops, and have depth.
Led by Donovan Mitchell, the Cavs lead the NBA in offensive rating and effective field goal percentage. Meanwhile, Cleveland’s defense is getting the job done as well.
Cleveland ranks ninth in defensive rating and 10th in opponent effective field goal percentage. And while the Cavs will be without Evan Mobley for this matchup, they have a roster that runs 11 men deep and that still includes Jarrett Allen, so they should be fine tonight.
The difference in depth will be even more obvious in this matchup. Not only will the Sixers be without Embiid, but Caleb Martin, JK Martin, Andre Drummond, and Kyle Lowry are also all out.
That means that Cavs defense can key on Tyrese Maxey and force the Sixers to beat them elsewhere. It has also become obvious that Maxey is having to shoulder too much of the offensive load for Philly, and it’s getting ugly.
The 76ers are 0-9 ATS in their last nine games, scoring just 107 points per game over that stretch while ranking 20th in eFG% and 21st in offensive rating. The Sixers' team total for this matchup is 109.5, and they’ve played below this number in seven of their last nine game.
I don’t see them eclipsing this number against this Cleveland defense. Not to mention, in two meetings this season the Cavaliers held the 76ers to 106 and 99 points, respectively.
Cavaliers vs 76ers same-game parlay
76ers team total Under 109.5
Jarrett Allen Over 11.5 rebounds
Tyrese Maxey Over 6.5 assists
Another place where the 76ers are struggling is on the glass. Philly enters this game ranked dead-last in the NBA in rebounding rate and 20th in opponent rebounds per 100 possessions. With no Joel Embiid or Andre Drummond available to them in this matchup, Cavaliers’ center Jarrett Allen should have his way on the boards.
Allen averages 10.0 rebounds per game this season, but that’s mostly playing beside fellow big man Evan Mobley who is out for this contest. Allen has gone for 11 and 13 rebounds in the last two games in which Mobley didn’t play. Give me the Over 11.5 rebounds for Allen tonight.
And let’s close this same-game parlay out with Tyrese Maxey to go Over 6.5 assists. Maxey is doing his best to try and keep his team afloat, but this is a tough matchup for him. Expect the Cavs to try and force the ball out of his hands when they can.
Maxey has been willing to distribute. While he is averaging 5.9 assists per game this season, that number has bumped up to 7.2 over his last 11 games. He’s gone Over this number six times during that span, including each of the last two games.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Cavaliers vs 76ers odds
Cavaliers vs 76ers live odds
Cavaliers vs 76ers opening odds
- Spread: Cleveland -9.5 | Philadelphia +9.5
- Moneyline: Cleveland -425 | Philadelphia +325
- Over/Under: Over 228.5 | Under 228.5
Odds courtesy of bet365
Cavaliers vs 76ers spread and Over/Under analysis
- The Cavaliers opened this Eastern Conference matchup as 9.5-point road favorites and that hasn't stopped bettors from backing them, moving the spread to 10.5 as of Friday afternoon.
- The Cavaliers have not only been winning a lot of games this season but winning a lot of bets as well, going 29-14 ATS. The Sixers have been almost the exact opposite, going 14-28 ATS, which includes going 0-9 ATS in the last nine games overall.
- The total hit the board at 228.5 and that's where it remains a few hours before tip-off.
- The two previous meetings between these teams went Over the total, but those numbers closed at 218.5 and 221.5. At this elevated number, I'm not sure the Sixers will do enough to send another one of these matchups past the total.
Cavaliers vs 76ers trend
The 76ers have hit the 1H game total Under in 27 of their last 36 games at home for +17.95 Units and a 44% ROI. Find more NBA betting trends for Cavaliers vs. 76ers.
How to watch Cavaliers vs 76ers
| Location | Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA |
| Date | Friday, 1-24-2025 |
| Tip-off | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | FanDuel Sports Network - Ohio, NBC Sports Philadelphia |
Cavaliers vs 76ers latest injuries
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