Betsided

Sixers vs. Cavaliers Prediction and Odds (Embiid to Dominate, Improve MVP Status in Process)

By Joe Summers

Joel Embiid hopes to put the finishing touches on an MVP campaign as the 76ers take on the Cavaliers tonight
Joel Embiid hopes to put the finishing touches on an MVP campaign as the 76ers take on the Cavaliers tonight / Tim Nwachukwu/GettyImages
facebooktwitterreddit

We've got a battle of two struggling teams as the 43-35 Cleveland Cavaliers host the 47-30 Philadelphia 76ers tonight at 6:00 PM EST.

Cleveland beat the Knicks 119-101 in their last game, but prior to that had failed to cover the spread in seven straight.

The 76ers, meanwhile, just snapped a three-game losing streak of their own with a dominant 144-114 win over the Hornets. They do already have three wins over Cleveland this season, including two in March.

Which squad can build off their recent win? Will Philly earn a season-sweep or will the Cavaliers get their revenge as a home underdog?

Here are the odds from WynnBET to help us find out:

76ers vs Cavaliers Odds, Spread and Total

Spread

  • 76ers -4.5 (-110)
  • Cavaliers +4.5 (-110)

Moneyline:

  • 76ers: -190
  • Cavaliers: +155

Total:

  • 224 (Over -110/Under -110)

76ers vs Cavaliers Prediction and Pick

Cleveland will be once again be without Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, the linchpins of their defense. Without their stalwarts, their defense has been a disaster. After spending the season in the top-five in defensive rating, they've fallen to 21st in their last 10 games.

Instead of Mobley and Allen controlling the paint, it'll be Kevin Love and newly-signed Moses Brown. Brown has played well since being called up to from the G League, with a double-double in back-to-back games, but Joel Embiid and the 76ers are a much stiffer test than the Knicks and Hawks.

Embiid is looking to put the finishing touches on a potential MVP campaign. Over his last 10 contests, he's averaging 31.1 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 2.9 combined blocks and steals per game while shooting 54.5% from the field. He had 35 points and 17 rebounds against Cleveland in a win last month and I expect a similarly dominant game.

Cleveland has failed to cover the spread in five straight home games and I expect their struggles to continue. Without Allen and Mobley, Embiid presents too much of a matchup advantage. And with Jokic dominating in Denver, the 76ers star big man knows he needs an incredible string of games to win the MVP. We should see his best effort, and it wouldn't surprise me if he dropped 40 points in a convincing win.

Pick: Cavaliers -4.5 (-110)

Follow all of Joe Summers' betting picks here.

Home/NBA Odds