The Los Angeles Lakers continue their East Coast road trip with a visit to Philadelphia to take on the 76ers. Both teams have been playing excellent basketball. In a battle of two hot teams, which team is the right NBA pick?
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Thursday, January 27, 2022 – 7:30 PM EST at Wells Fargo Center
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers were buoyed by the return of Anthony Davis to the lineup last evening. Anthony Davis looked spry and athletic and showed no signs of an injured knee that kept him out for over a month.
Davis only had 8 points, but his defense keyed the Lakers' victory. The Lakers are so much better with Davis back in the lineup. He erases many of the defensive vulnerabilities that had been present while he sat on the bench.
LeBron James has continued his historic run. No player at age 37 has ever dominated like this. James scored 33 points in the victory over Brooklyn and looks close to unstoppable. James' defense also seems to get a lift from the presence of Davis. After weeks of turmoil by Lakers fans worrying about their future, the team looks poised to return to the top of the Western Conference standings.
The Lakers' role players are healthy as well and may have been a big boost to this team. Avery Bradley provides excellent defense and Malik Monk has been an offensive spark plug. Monk scored 22 points and hit 6 three-point shots. Monk's gravity on the offensive end provides space for James and the other Lakers to work.
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers got off to a slow start but were able to get the win over the Pelicans and cover the spread of NBA odds in a 117–107 victory. Joel Embiid was dominant once again and scored 42 points in the victory.
The much-maligned Tobias Harris had a great game as well, shipping in 33 points. Overall this is the best basketball that we have seen from the Philadelphia 76ers this season. The Sixers have won 12 of their last 15 games. Over the last 19 games, Embiid is averaging 33.3 points per game.
The Philadelphia 76ers will cause an interesting conundrum for the Los Angeles Lakers in the way they match up with them. The Lakers' best lineup this season has been with either the smaller Anthony Davis or LeBron James playing the center position. Yet Joel Embiid is one of the biggest men in the NBA and it will require the Lakers to play Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan.
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While both players can hold their own defensively, this causes problems for the Lakers on the offensive end. Howard or Jordan lack shooting range, which clogs the floor and makes defending the Lakers easier. It will be interesting to see how the 76ers' use of Embiid changes the way the Lakers play on offense.
This will be a high-profile game between two teams in good form. Much will be made of the result and in these high-profile games, we can expect the best effort from both sides. I do believe this game will be predictive of what to expect from both teams going forward.
Key Matchup
Dwight Howard vs. Joel Embiid
Dwight Howard was a backup on the 76ers last season but returned to Los Angeles, the team with which he won his only championship. Now he will face off against his former teammate and his ability to slow down Embiid will be crucial to the Lakers' chances to win. Embiid has had a huge night in pretty much every game of 2022.
It will be incumbent upon Dwight Howard to slow down the 76ers MVP level big man. If Howard is able to slow down Joel Embiid and keep the Sixers' offense in check, the Lakers have a chance to get another crucial road victory. If Embiid runs roughshod over the Lakers, the 76ers will be in a great position to get the win.
Best Bet
I like the Sixers to get it done here. The Lakers will have problems stopping Embiid. If Embiid gets the big men in foul trouble, the Lakers do not have good matchups against the 76ers with a smaller lineup.
The Sixers have been playing their best ball of the season so far. This team knows of the trade rumors swirling around the franchise and is doing its best to prove the current iteration of the team is enough to contend.
On Tuesday, the Lakers made a statement with a win over Brooklyn. Tonight, the Sixers will make a statement with a win over the Lakers. For our best bets, today’s play of the day is the Philadelphia 76ers -2.5 (-110).
NBA Pick: Philadelphia 76ers -2.5 (-110) with Bovada (visit our Bovada 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.
