Paul George is expected to make his season debut Monday night against his former team, as the Philadelphia 76ers host the Los Angeles Clippers at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
The 76ers (7–5) have stumbled after a hot start to the season, losing five of their last eight games, most recently falling to the Detroit Pistons on Friday night. The Clippers (4–9), meanwhile, have dropped seven of their last eight and enter on the second leg of a back-to-back — a loss to the Boston Celtics.
Looking at the injury report, Joel Embiid (knee), Kelly Oubre Jr. (knee), and Adem Bona (ankle) are out for Philadelphia. For LA, Kawhi Leonard (ankle), Jordan Miller (hamstring), and Derrick Jones Jr. (knee) are sidelined, while Bogdan Bogdanovic (hip) is listed as questionable.
Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. ET. The 76ers enter as 5.5-point home favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, while the Clippers are listed as +170 underdogs. The game’s total is set at 220.5 points.
Clippers vs. 76ers Preview
The 76ers burst onto the scene with four straight wins but have returned to their middling ways. Philadelphia pairs a top-10 offense with a near bottom-10 defense for a slightly above-average 13th-ranked net rating.
With Embiid sidelined for half of their games so far, the Sixers have leaned heavily on Tyrese Maxey — and he’s delivered. The 25-year-old guard leads the team with 32 points, 7.8 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. Getting George back into the mix should bolster the team on both sides of the ball.
The season outlook in sunny Los Angeles has been anything but. The Clippers are one of the worst teams in the NBA when it comes to scoring, defending, and rebounding — all essential ingredients for a winning program. It’s no surprise that they sit in the bottom-third of the league with a 23rd-ranked net rating.
With Kawhi hurt, James Harden has led the charge for LA, leading the team with 26 points and nine assists per game. Like George, Harden’s also playing against his former team on Monday night. The Clippers have also gotten solid contributions from Ivica Zubac, who’s adding 16.2 points and a team-leading 10.6 rebounds per game — the eighth-highest mark in the league.
Clippers vs. 76ers Pick, Best Bet
While the Sixers have scuffled as of late, their losses have come against solid contenders like the Detroit Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Boston Celtics. Meanwhile, the Clippers’ love win in November was against the lowly Dallas Mavericks — whom they beat in double overtime.
Paul George isn’t the superstar he used to be, but his availability marks an upgrade for Philadelphia on both sides of the floor. The long-range sniper will bolster one of the top three-point shooting squads in the league, going up against a team that’s struggled to defend the perimeter all season long.
Count on the Sixers to get back on track with a convincing win in George’s return.
