Lakers vs 76ers Picks and Predictions: Embiid, Sixers Spoil AD's Return

On Thursday, the Philadelphia 76ers host a Los Angeles Lakers team that just welcomed back Anthony Davis from an extended absence with a knee injury. The Lakers won in Davis’ first game back, coming up with a road win over the Brooklyn Nets. They’ll now look to make a statement on the road against the Sixers. 

Will Los Angeles win back-to-back road games against good Eastern Conference opponents? Keep reading our NBA picks and predictions for Lakers vs. 76ers to find out. 

Lakers vs 76ers odds

Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.

The Sixers opened as 3-point favorites against the Lakers and have since gone down to only 2.5-point favorites, despite most of the action seemingly being on Philadelphia. Meanwhile, the total opened at 220 and is now down to as low as 217.5.  

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.

Lakers vs 76ers predictions

• Prediction: 76ers -2 (-110)
• Prediction: Under 218.5 (-110)
• Best bet: Embiid Over 4.5 assists (-112)

Predictions made on 1/26/2022 at 11:30 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.

Lakers vs 76ers game info

• Location: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
• Date: Thursday, January 27, 2022
• Tip-off: 7:30 p.m. ET
• TV: TNT

Lakers vs 76ers betting preview

Injuries

Lakers: Kendrick Nunn G (Out).
76ers: Seth Curry G (Out), Danny Green G (Questionable), Shake Milton G (Out), Ben Simmons F (Out).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.

Betting trend to know

The Lakers are 6-14 ATS in their last 20 games against teams with winning records. Find more NBA betting trends for Lakers vs. 76ers.

Lakers vs 76ers picks and predictions

Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.

Spread analysis

The Lakers now have Davis back in the lineup and the superstar played 25 minutes in Los Angeles’ 10-point win over the Brooklyn Nets last game. Davis didn’t shoot the ball very well in that one, but it was nice to see him play big minutes and block some shots. The Lakers were really missing his two-way presence, and they’ll be hoping that his return can be the spark they need for a run in the second half of the season. Unfortunately for Los Angeles, it’s hard to see the team massively improving the rest of the way. 

Even with the pairing of LeBron James and Davis, the Lakers still have the confusing Russell Westbrook situation. Westbrook can’t shoot the basketball anymore, and he’s a huge negative on the defensive end. It’s just a very bad basketball fit and the Lakers also need some better role players around those three guys. 

On the other hand, the Sixers have a rather cohesive group, with Joel Embiid and a bunch of players that know their roles around him. Embiid has scored 38 or more points in each of his last four games, and he continues to be one of the best defensive bigs in the league. This has been the best season of his career, and it’s a given that he’ll go out and dominate this game against Los Angeles. But Embiid is also surrounded by guys that can either shoot or defend, and there aren’t any egos on the team — outside of Simmons. That is why the Sixers are 12-3 SU and 10-5 ATS in their last 15 games, and they should be able to earn a win in this one. 

Keep an eye on Tyrese Maxey here, as the young guard could turn in a big performance in this spot. Maxey can get to the rim at will and he makes smart decisions with the ball. He’s also a good defender, capable of taking advantage of Westbrook’s mistakes. 

The Lakers are 7-18 ATS vs. Atlantic division opponents under head coach Frank Vogel and 9-12 SU on the road this season. Back Philly at home.

Prediction: 76ers -2 (-110)

Over/Under analysis

Since Vogel became the head coach of the Lakers, the Under is 20-8 when Los Angeles has played against teams with winning percentages between 51% and 60%. The average total points scored in those games was 211.4 and it isn’t hard to see that this game might be a low-scoring one. 

The Sixers are currently just 27th in the NBA in pace of play and they’re the smarter basketball team, so they should be able to dictate the style of play here. They know that Los Angeles wants to get out and run, so Doc Rivers’ group will counter that by taking its time and playing through Embiid in the mid-post. They’ll also be really locked in on the defensive end in front of what should be an absurd atmosphere for a regular-season game. 

Prediction: Under 218.5 (-110)

Best bet

With this being a national television game, all of the attention for Philadelphia will be on what Embiid can do. And people will likely be looking at him through the lens of scoring. The big man has, however, improved significantly as a passer this season, as he’s averaging a career-high 4.3 assists per game. 

Now, Embiid gets a crack at a Lakers team that has not been very good defensively this season. Part of the reason for that is Los Angeles having some mediocre team defenders. Guys like Westbrook can get caught napping off the ball, and that presents an opportunity for Embiid to find some cutters. 

Los Angeles should also load up on Embiid, preventing him from continuing to light it up as a scorer, which would also give him more options as a playmaker. 

Pick: Joel Embiid Over 4.5 assists (-112)

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