By Taylor Marten – Wannamakeabet Staff Writer
Cavaliers -2.5 vs. 76ers o/u 225
Cleveland Cavaliers (12-7)
After a 5-7 start to the season, LeBron James has willed the Cleveland Cavaliers back into the top portion of the Eastern Conference. Heading into the matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland is on a seven-game winning streak and tied for third in the East. James is averaging an MVP-like 28.5 ppg, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.6 assists while playing 37.7 mpg (second in the NBA).
With the Kyrie Irving trade and Isaiah Thomas still out with an injury, James has been shouldering a superhuman load that goes back to his pre-Heat days.. His teammates have stepped up since the winning streak began, but to varying degrees from game-to-game. The loss of Irving means there is no one other player than James who can create his own shot or be counted on to get a crunch-time bucket. As long as James is healthy, the Cavs will remain the team to beat in the conference, but they’re vulnerable anytime he doesn’t meet or exceed his jaw-dropping numbers.
The Cavaliers are 6-12-1 against the spread so far this season, but 6-3 on-the-road. Additionally, Cleveland is 11-7-1 on the over/under and 6-3 on-the-road as well. They’ve had two days of rest prior to the Philly matchup.
Philadelphia 76ers (11-7)
The Sixers have put everyone on notice. Many think that the Celtics with Kyrie Irving and their young wings (Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum) are going to rule the Eastern Conference for years to come, but Philly’s talent (Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons) is coming now.
After blowing a 22-point halftime lead against Golden State last Saturday (Nov. 18), the Sixers have won three straight games in dominant fashion. Despite Rookie of the Year-favorite Ben Simmons sitting out with a wrist injury, Philly dropped 130 on the Orlando Magic Saturday night (Nov. 15).
Currently, the Sixers are fifth in the Eastern Conference. But Philly’s growth is going to continue throughout the season, and the bigger the stage, the better they’re playing. Injuries are going to continue to follow this team until they prove over time that Embiid, Simmons, and 2017 number one overall pick Markelle Fultz aren’t the fragile players that they’ve been thus far.
The Sixers are 14-4 against the spread and 7-1 at home. They’ve had a day off and are 11-7 on the over/under, but just 4-4 at home.
The Pick
This is just another regular season game for Cleveland, but for Philadelphia, this is a chance to play against the three-time defending Eastern Conference champs and the best player in the world. LeBron James’ heroics are always an X-factor, but the Sixers, behind the energy of their home crowd, will cover the 2.5-point spread. With the days off, expect both teams to come out firing on all cylinders and score over 225 points.
I’m putting 4000 units at Wannamakeabet.com on the Sixers and 1000 units on the Over.