It was a relatively light slate on Saturday in the NBA, but both the Lakers and 76ers were in action. They’re both coming off road wins, but Philly nearly gave it up in a four-point win over
the Oklahoma City Thunder by allowing 41 fourth-quarter points after also getting off to a slow start and being down after the first quarter.
They also haven’t been playing their best ball, losing back-to-back games prior to yesterday. That’s not to say that they aren’t still one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, but it
does mean Lakers fans have every right to be optimistic about the matchup. Their most recent meeting was a loss, but it was by a single point.
LA also recently went on an impressive stretch winning six of seven games, and they did so with great defense. In the three most recent
wins from that stretch, they allowed just 95, 104 and 99 points. That’s also been the calling card for Philly thanks to Joel Embiid’s presence down low, and they once again rank inside the top 10 in terms of rebounds allowed per game.
While LeBron and company can also keep things close at the very least, we’re going to focus on a low-scoring game with our Lakers vs. 76ers prediction and take under 231.5 points (-110 at FanDuel Sportsbook).
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In terms of our Lakers vs. 76ers player props, our first pick is an approach we very rarely take. LeBron has always been a double-double machine, primarily with points and rebounds, but Anthony Davis has finally been playing his part on the glass.
Davis is coming off a 13-rebound performance, where James had just six. Of course, we aren’t basing our pick off that singular game; LeBron simply hasn’t been needed as much when it comes to pulling down boards. In 12 games this month, he’s had double-digit rebounds just three times.
Along with the Embiid presence down low that we already mentioned, it’s no surprise his rebounding numbers haven’t been off the charts against Philly. In his last five games against Embiid and company, he’s averaging just over six rebounds per game. He can certainly get his buckets, but we’re starting our Lakers vs. 76ers player
