The Philadelphia 76ers seem to be growing up in front of our very eyes, as a recent winning streak has them safely in the playoffs and in range of making a big move up the standings. The 76ers are only a couple of games behind the Washington Wizards as the teams prepare to face off soon.
The Wizards are at home for this matchup but are still without superstar point guard John Wall, which makes their chances of winning this game perilous. Washington will likely be a slight favorite but there is no reason to think the surging 76ers can’t come in and pull the upset.
A lot of teams are crunched together in the standings and the 76ers could continue turning heads by capturing this upset.
Don't miss the hardwood action from the Verizon Center at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 25, 2018. Catch every moment of the game live on ABC.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Sunday schedule.
Odds Analysis
The 76ers are 30-25 straight up and 31-23-1 against the spread. Philadelphia has gone 13-13-1 against the spread on the road this year and is 12-10-1 against the spread as the underdog.
The Wizards are 34-24 straight up and 28-30 against the spread. Washington has covered in only 11 of their 28 home games this season but did come up with a solid win over the Cavaliers last time out. The Wizards have covered in only 14 of 37 attempts as the favorite this year.
Injury Report
The Wizards are expected to be without Wall until mid-March after he underwent surgery on his knee a few weeks ago. The team is trying to stay afloat without its best player as teams like the 76ers and others attempt to track it down.
Wall is averaging 19.4 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.6 rebounds on the season and the Wizards are hoping to get him back into the fold as quickly as possible. Bradley Beal has been the go-to guy in Wall’s absence. Beal is averaging 23.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists on the season.
He helped rally the Wizards from a huge deficit against the Knicks a few games ago, pouring in 36 points as Washington came away with the unlikely win. If he can put together another huge scoring game, Washington will have a good chance to hold court at home.
Player To Watch
Joel Embiid -- The 76ers’ center has stayed healthy, and now he is really showing what he can do on the court. Embiid was an all-star this season and is averaging 23.7 points, 11.1 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per contest.
His gifts for a big man have long been known, but the worry was if Embiid could ever get over the injuries that hampered him early. He has only missed a handful of contests this season and is expected to be good to go in this one.
The Wizards must figure out a way to slow him down, but that is much easier said than done as he has so much more athleticism than anyone the Wizards can put on him.
Free NBA ATS Picks
Both teams are playing well right now, but the absence of Wall could be a problem in this one. Philadelphia can zero in on stopping Beal and the worry is that Washington does not have enough options elsewhere offensively.
The Wizards will likely be favored but the 76ers are a solid pick to not only cover the spread in this matchup but to also pull the upset. See what kind of odds are listed for the 76ers on the moneyline because the value should definitely be there to choose them to win this game.
NBA Odds: 76ers 105, Wizards 103
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