The Los Angeles Lakers got off to a surprisingly fast start but have fallen on tough times of late. They will aim to end a long skid on the road against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Both of these teams are rebuilding, but the Lakers have done better in the earlygoing. Philadelphia has been marginally better at home than on the road this season but is still one of the worst teams in the NBA.
It won’t have a ton of winnable games this season but if the 76ers play well they should be able to emerge victorious. On the flip-side, the Lakers will find it tough rowing in many road matchups but this is one they can also win. This is a matchup of two poor teams but it should be competitive.
This war on the floor will go down Friday, December 16, 2016, at 8 p.m. ET at the Wells Fargo Center Philadelphia. The game will be televised live on ESPN.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Friday schedule.
Odds Analysis
The Lakers are 10-17 straight up and 11-15-1 against the spread. Los Angeles have covered in six of its 14 attempts on the road this season. The Lakers are 9-12 as the underdog against the spread and 2-3-1 as the favorite. Los Angeles could either be a slight underdog or slight favorite in this matchup.
The 76ers are 6-18 straight up and 14-10 against the spread, which is a nod to just how bad the team is and how often it is getting points against opponents. Philadelphia is 10-5 against the spread at home. The 76ers are 14-9 against the spread as the underdog. They have only been favored one time this year and failed to cover in that instance.
Player to Watch
Joel Embiid -- The 76ers center has lived up to the hype when he’s been in the lineup, averaging a team-high 18.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. However, injuries have continued to dog the talented big man, as Embiid has missed some recent time with an elbow injury.
That’s better news than a foot injury, which caused Embiid to miss the first two seasons of his career. When he’s on the court, Embiid has shown flashes of the dominant player the 76ers hoped to get when they drafted him.
The Lakers have real problems defensively and it could be a big game for Embiid provided he is over the elbow injury and at full strength for this contest.
Scheduling Situation
The Lakers are in the midst of a tough road trip in which they will play seven games in 11 days. This will be only the second stop and it will be the most winnable game available.
Los Angeles started in Sacramento and then played in Brooklyn two days prior to this one. They will follow up this matchup against Philadelphia with a back-to-back in Cleveland against the defending NBA champion Cavaliers. The Lakers are young and it is still early in the season, so they shouldn’t be completely fatigued, but traveling this much and playing many of the nights is bound to take its toll.
The Lakers will finish up the road trip with games against Charlotte, Miami and Orlando.
Free NBA ATS Pick
The 76ers have some good young players but no superstars and that has once again led to one of the worst marks in the league. Philadelphia needs Embiid, Jahlil Okafor and others to continue to improve.
They have only gotten one game from Nerlens Noel and none from No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons, and it’s possible Philadelphia improves with the additions of those guys.
The Lakers have had some good stretches this season and while it’s a longshot, are still sort of in the playoff picture. A win here would help end a tough skid and it is one Los Angeles should be able to pick up with Louis Williams and D’Angelo Russell leading the way.
NBA Odds: Lakers 113, 76ers 107
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