Two up-and-coming young teams will square off on Wednesday night to judge their progress when the L.A. Lakers will host the Philadelphia 76ers in the Staples Center. This will also be the first time two top picks from the NBA Draft 2017 cross paths (although one will not play), but it’s likely that another rookie will steal the show away from them.
76ers at Lakers
Spread: Philadelphia -2.5 (-110) at BetDSI Sportsbook
Total: o/u 219.5 points (-110)
The Sixers pull a close win over shorthanded Clippers
It feels good to have so many weapons that one must work. On Monday, the Philadelphia 76ers used full depth of their roster to overcome L.A. Clippers and help erase memory on the two losses preceding it. Both teams were playing a bit shorthanded, although the key guys were there for the Sixers, and it was the difference.
The Sixers opened up the game with a good quarter, connecting on most of their shots behind the strong play of Joel Embiid and the hot hand of Robert Covington. These two combined to score 63 points on 20-of-32 shooting. Embiid also had 16 rebounds in high minutes – he was on the floor for almost 36 minutes. Rookie of Year runaway Ben Simmons was terrific again with 22 points, 12 boards, and 4 assists, and he scored the decisive basket late in the game. Despite all three playing very well, most of the second half was played back and forth, as the Sixers couldn’t pull away with the three-ball not falling and frequent turnovers. In fact, The 76ers trailed 100-95 with just over two minutes to play but got even with 1:18 left after a 3-pointer by former Clipper J.J. Redick and a driving layup from Simmons. Covington’s 3-pointer with 33 seconds remaining gave the Sixers the lead for good.
76ers C Jahlil Okafor did not play because of an upper respiratory infection, joining Jerryd Bayless (wrist), Markelle Fultz (shoulder) and Nik Stauskas (ankle), who were not in action. The game against the Lakers is the final challenge on this five-game road trip – Philly is 2-2 on it so far.
Place: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Date/Time: Wednesday, November 15th, 2017. 10:30 PM ET
TV Coverage: ESPN
Victory in Phoenix helps hide issues for the Lakers
The hype surrounding Lakers’ top cat, Lonzo Ball, has subsided a little bit after most observers realized that the rook can shoot and that it’s hurting his game overall. The transition to the pros hasn’t gone so smoothly as he and the organization had hoped. That’s OK. Time works for him and if he works on improving his shooting technique and the game slows down for him, he’s going to be really good. What’s most surprising is that coach Walton had to pull him out of the game for the third time this season that’s not even a month old, to prove a point. This could mean either of three things – Walton is taking his job a little too seriously, or the Lakers want to win now, or Ball doesn’t respond to coaching in practice and needs to be publicly alerted. The Lakers did manage to pull out a win in Phoenix, 100-93, but they are only 6-8 to start this season, and don’t look like a team that’s going anywhere fast.
It was a case of two poor teams meeting – someone had to win. The Lakers 42 percent and used the fourth quarter to win over the Suns, who were shooting even worse. There were just a couple of players who performed at the NBA level – Booker for Phoenix, and Clarkson, Brewer, and Lopez for the Lakers. The second unit provided 46 points, nearly a half of the total points Los Angeles scored, behind the excellent shooting of Clarkson (11-of-19 for 25 points) and Brewer (5-of-7 for 13 points). They made all the difference on the court, making a crucial 10-2 run that created separation in the final period. This is what kept Lonzo Ball (7 points, 4 turnovers, 3-of-10 FGs) on the bench in this last stretch. The Lakers are scoring 103.3 points on 45.4 percent shooting, and allow 105.9 points on 44.2 percent shooting to their opposition. They are clearly a better defensive side than they were, and it helped to have Bogut patrolling the paint for the reserves. However, it came down to Suns poor shooting from the outside, and they had some great looks.
The game in Arizona wrapped up a four-game road trip, ending it on a high note and providing some relief after three losses. The Lakers are now at home for the next four with some very winnable games ahead. Nance Jr. remains out.
Philadelphia 76ers at Los Angeles Lakers Game Trends & Prediction
The Sixers have been kind to your bets, outperforming the expectations and scoring 9-4 against the spread so far. It’s a part of a road-heavy schedule, but while they were aided by points away from home, they rarely needed them, winning straight up as well. On the total point market, they were positive on the plus points – 8-5 against the over/under – although I can’t shake the impression that the market recently caught up with this trend and that a reverse is about to follow.
The Lakers are 7-7 against the spread, with no significant trends. They have connected four games where the total would not overcome the set line, so their O/U record this season stands at 5-9. Young teams can outperform their level when correctly challenged, so it’s another thing you might want to consider here, as even though the Lakers won, they all left the arena with something to prove.
Admi-Rank: The Sixers have proven that they can compete at least on an average NBA level and they are still climbing. This means that they have to be considered as a playoff team in the East. The Lakers are far from it, given the strength of their conference, but have improved over the last season.
I still believe that the Sixers should have taken Lonzo Ball with the first pick overall, but their redshirting method worked for Embiid and Simmons, so there’s still hope with Fultz. Meanwhile, they do a fine job putting the ball into right hands and are not backing down to anyone. The Lakers still don’t have a true personality as a team, but are also trying to cut the learning curve short and compete to win. Whether it’s a good thing in the long term or not, it’s good for the betting.
The Philadelphia 76ers have been set as a 3-pt favorite in this game, as the bookies clearly recognized that they look much more confident and are a more talented team. However, the better team have slipped to the Lakers in L.A., so don’t be surprised if they don’t show up. This is exactly the kind of wager I’m always looking for – home dog, against an average team that has been outplaying the expectations. Go with the Lakers and support the spread wager with the moneyline bet. But wait, there’s more – the total line has been set too high. At 219.5 points that the books are expecting, it’s a good deal to go under. Take the minus points with confidence for a double profit.
My Pick: Los Angeles Lakers +2.5 (-110) and moneyline (+124)
Total: Under 219.5 points (-110)
