Cavaliers vs. 76ers NBA Odds, Preview and Best Bet (Archive)
Since acquiring James Harden, the Philadelphia 76ers have looked really good. The hype is real in the city of brotherly love and they look to continue that success tonight when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers.
This will be a tough one as the Cavs have slipped in the Eastern Conference standings recently and will be desperate for a win.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Friday, March 04, 2022 – 07:00 PM EST at Wells Fargo Center
The Hype Is Real in Philadelphia
It's hard to blame 76ers fans for being this excited about what they're seeing. The "Process" as they call it in Philadelphia has been a long one. It all came crashing down in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals last year when they were upset by the Atlanta Hawks.
We know what happened next with Ben Simmons and until he was traded, the situation surrounding the Sixers was one of the strangest ones in the history of the league.
The nightmare finally ended when they shipped Simmons out of town for James Harden. While they are completely different players, Harden provides the Sixers with something they've never had since the beginning of the process; a legit second superstar.
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Despite his obvious flaws, I do think Simmons is an All-Star caliber player. That's an obvious statement considering he is an actual All-Star but if you listen to the narrative surrounding him since the last time we saw him play, people are acting like Simmons is a bum.
That being said, I do agree that he is nowhere near a superstar. Enter Harden who has held superstar status for long enough that he has to be considered one of the best offensive players in the history of the league.
He's also developed into one of the premier playmakers in the NBA and when you combine that with the MVP caliber play of Joel Embiid, all of a sudden you have what looks like a legitimate championship contender.
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According to the NBA odds for tonight, the Sixers opened as -5.5 favorites at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers. That opening line was very sharp and I would be all over the Sixers at that number. Once it went over two possessions (-6), I was out in terms of betting the side.
The line is now -7 at most of the top online sportsbooks and at that number, I'd have to take Cleveland. The reason I'm not going to do that here is that the Cavs have lost 5 of 6 and are desperate for a win. They've also got All-Star guard Darius Garland back tonight so I think they'll put up a real fight.
Cavs Are Getting Healthy Again
The Cavs have fallen to 7th in the Eastern Conference standings and the 8th placed Toronto Raptors are only two games behind them. There's also Brooklyn who just got Kevin Durant back so you'd have to expect that they'll make a push in the standings although the Cavs have a nice five-game cushion.
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The point here is, this is a very young Cavs team and they know that they'll need home court in the first round of the playoffs to be successful. They also know that a poor run of form could easily see them fall out of the playoff race so I expect them to come out with a high level of intensity tonight.
The Pick
The total opened at 220.5 and has been steamed down to 218.5 at most of the online betting sites. I will be taking the under 218.5 (-110) as my official NBA pick.
I think that this game will have a playoff atmosphere and defense will be the key. The Cavs know they can't outscore the Sixers and defense has been the key to their success all season. Cleveland is 4th in the league in defensive efficiency while Philadelphia is 9th in that category.
I don't think either team gets to 110 points in a tightly contested game that should be a lot of fun to watch.
NBA Pick: Under 218.5 (-110) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.