Tipping off in the first portion of tonight’s seven-game NBA slate, the Cleveland Cavaliers will face off with the Philadelphia 76ers.
This will mark the first half of a back-to-back between these two opponents, as they will also play again on Friday. They also faced off on November 5th, which resulted in a 132-121 Cavaliers’ victory. This matchup was not as close as the final score indicated, with Cleveland stretching the lead as large as 26 and holding a double-digit lead for the bulk of the matchup.
Looking at the odds for tonight’s game, the 76ers are 1.5-point favorites and hold -115 odds on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Cavaliers are -105 underdogs with the game total set at 226.5 points.
This article will look at a preview and prediction for the Wednesday night matchup.
Cavaliers at 76ers Preview
The Cleveland Cavaliers have taken a notable step back from their Eastern Conference-leading 64-18 record last year. They are off to a 22-19 start to the season and sit in seventh place in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland is also looking to bounce back from a 123-112 loss to the Utah Jazz on Monday. Overall, the Cavaliers are an NBA-worst 13-28 against the spread this season, and the game total has gone under in 22 of their 41 games played.
Offensively, the Cavaliers are still having some respectable success. They rank fourth in the league in scoring by averaging 119.8 points per game. Cleveland also ranks eighth in offensive rating, 14th in field goal percentage, 17th in three-point percentage, and launches the third-most perimeter shots per game. Defensively, it has been a different story. Cleveland is allowing 117.7 points per game, which ranks 21st in the NBA. They also rank 15th in defensive rating, 13th in opponents’ field goal percentage, and dead last in opponents’ three-point percentage. The Cavaliers play at the sixth-fastest pace in the league.
Donovan Mitchell continues to headline the production, averaging 29.5 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.7 rebounds, while shooting 38.6% from the perimeter. Evan Mobley and Darius Garland are each averaging 17.9 points per game, with Mobley leading the team with 8.6 rebounds while Garland posts a team-leading 6.9 assists. Sam Merrill is shooting a team-best 45.7% from beyond the three-point arc, along with his 14.3 points and 2.4 assists. Last year’s prized trade deadline acquisition, De’Andre Hunter, has struggled significantly and is shooting just 42.5% from the field and 30.3% from beyond the arc. Jarrett Allen and Jaylon Tyson also average in double figures, while Dean Wade, Max Strus, and Chris Livingston are each expected to miss tonight.
Some momentum is building in Philadelphia after a frustrating and underwhelming previous season. The Sixers have moved to 22-16 on the season, and sit in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. Philadelphia is as healthy as they have been in quite some time, and have won six of their last eight matchups entering tonight. On the season, the Sixers are 23-18 against the spread, and the game total has gone over in 20 of their 38 games played.
As a team, the Sixers are averaging 117.1 points per game, which ranks 13th in the league. They rank 14th in offensive rating, 26th in field goal percentage, 13th in three-point percentage, and are 28th in assists per game. Defensively, opponents are scoring 115.2 points per game against them, which ranks 15th. Philadelphia also ranks 11th in defensive rating, ninth in opponents’ field goal percentage, second in opponents’ three-point percentage, and is tallying the fifth-most steals per game.
Joel Embiid has officially surpassed his games played in all of last season and is beginning to look like his MVP self. The 31-year-old has improved his averages to 23.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists while playing more impactful defense in recent games. Amid Embiid’s inconsistent availability, Tyrese Maxey has blossomed into a full-scale NBA star. The Kentucky product is leading the NBA in minutes per game and posting averages of 30.9 points, 6.7 assists, and 4.5 rebounds, while shooting 40.9% from beyond the three-point arc. Paul George has settled into his role on the roster, adding 15.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, while rookie V.J. Edgecombe has been the glue to their starting lineup. Quentin Grimes, Kelly Oubre Jr, Dominick Barlow, and Andre Drummond each also play a key role in the rotation.
Cavaliers at 76ers Prediction, Best Bet
These are two teams trending in opposite directions, and look for each to continue their path tonight.
While the Cavaliers got the upper hand in the first matchup between these two teams, this was just the eighth game of the season for each side. Philadelphia was without both Embiid and George, while also playing on the second night of a back-to-back. The team has found their groove lately, with Embiid playing like an All-Star caliber talent of late being a noteworthy change to the ceiling of this team.
In contrast, Cleveland has struggled to find any sort of consistency all season. Injuries have been an issue, but not the true reason for these struggles. They have several frustrating losses on their resume for the year, with their previous loss to the Jazz a recent example. Donovan Mitchell still looks the part of a lead guard on a contending team and has performed at a high level all season. But he has lacked the necessary help from the supporting cast, with it taking some herculean efforts to keep the team afloat. Edgecombe and George will also be two of the better defenders he has faced this season in regard to slowing down his skillset.
Expect the Sixers to continue to come out in attack mode and have success against a poor Cleveland defense. There is no answer for the speed on Maxey on the perimeter, and Embiid is back to using his size and power to assert himself inside. Count on both Mobley and Allen to both struggle to match his strength. Cleveland will still put up some points in their own right. But it is tough to envision them stopping the Sixers’ attack with all the diverse ways in which they can score.
I am backing the game total to go over 236.5 en route to a Sixers’ victory in this matchup. This is a high total, but the final score finished at 253 in the first game between these two teams. Cleveland has only shown more reasons for concern with their defense since, and Philadelphia has gotten more high-level scorers on the floor. Look for the Sixers to pick up their seventh victory in their past nine games and for them to have enough defensive impact to prevent the Cavaliers from matching this total. The home crowd behind them will be an aid, and this is a great spot for the Sixers to add to their strong start to the season against a vulnerable opponent.
