The Process is working. The Philadelphia 76ers have been in a constant state of rebuild the past several years but all of the tanking has finally resulted in some success. The team’s group of talented youngsters are playing well as the team is 13-10 on the season and in the middle of playoff contention in the Eastern Conference.
The 76ers will be favored in a regular season game this week when they face off against the Los Angeles Lakers. Los Angeles is trying to get back to the glory days but is still going through some growing pains this year. Philadelphia has been waiting a long time to be competitive but things are coming together in the 2017-18 season.
This war on the floor will go down Thursday, December 7, 2017, at 8 p.m. ET at Wells Fargo Center Philadelphia. The game will be televised live on TNT.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Thursday schedule.
Odds Analysis
There is no line on this game yet but Philadelphia figures to be a solid favorite. The 76ers are 7-5 at home on the season while the Lakers are 2-8 on the road. Young teams often do not fare very well on the road and Los Angeles would need to put together a really good game to have a chance at pulling off this upset.
Both of these teams score a bunch of points and give up a lot, so look for the scoring total to be pretty high in this showdown.
Player To Watch
Joel Embiid -- The 76ers’ big man has always had a ton of talent, but injuries have put a damper on his career. This season has been different, as Embiid has managed to stay healthy and is now dominating on the court.
He is averaging 23.1 points, 11.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game, leading Philadelphia in all three categories and establishing himself as the team’s top player. Ben Simmons has been a nice complement as those two young stars are making the future look bright for the 76ers.
This team took a lot of criticism for being non-competitive for a long time, but the years of high draft picks seem like they will pay off. Embiid needs to stay healthy but so far, so good this season.
Key Stat
31.3. That’s the shooting percentage for Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball, who was the No. 2 overall pick in the draft. While he is contributing in the assists and rebounding categories, Ball won’t live up to the hype if he doesn’t improve scoring the ball.
He is also only shooting 25 percent from three-point range. The 76ers moved up to the No. 1 pick in the draft to grab Markelle Fultz, but he has barely played this season, so neither of the top two picks have been great quite yet.
Ball hopes to show the 76ers made a mistake in passing on him by putting together an impressive performance.
Free NBA ATS Picks
These teams are both young, but the 76ers have the two best players on the court in Embiid and Simmons. The home court is also a big advantage as young teams play much better in the comfort of their own surroundings.
This should be an entertaining matchup as both teams have no problem getting up and down the court. The 76ers have the superior weapons and should be able to pull away in the second half.
Take Philadelphia to capture this victory. Keep an eye on the line and the scoring total when they are released. The 76ers may be able to cover, while the “over” has to be a consideration if it comes in too low.
NBA Odds: 76ers 118, Lakers 110
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