NBA Regular Season 2023/24, Saturday, 03/23/2024
For those who regularly read our NBA tips, you know that I always pay a lot of attention to the respective matchup at the center position in my predictions, almost as much as a first-class sports betting bonus.
With that in mind, there can only be one recommendation for me tonight as part of my Lakers 76ers prediction – and that’s one that sees the purple and gold dominating this game thanks to a strong individual performance from Anthony Davis.
The Sixers are still well served with seventh place in the table and a positive record of 38 wins to 31 defeats despite the fact that Joel Embiid has been missing for some time.
However, especially in games like yesterday’s against an absolute top team like the Phoenix Suns, the absence of the Cameroonian at the five makes a huge difference.
Precisely because Philadelphia was not even able to come close to beating the Suns at the board in the rebounding duel (40:55), Arizonans were able to conjure up more points on the board through second-chance points (115:102).
This game would definitely have been different with a true “ball magnet” like Joel Embiid on the floor, believe me
Joel Embiid played 34 games this season before his serious injury, averaging 35.3 points and 11.3 rebounds per game (watch out for those stats).
Since then, Mo Bamba has largely replaced him in this position, but the US Ivorian has averaged just 4.1 points per game in 47 games and has not even managed four rebounds per game – 3.9, to be precise.
You guessed it: The huge deficit in points and rebounds is mostly the reason why the Sixers have already lost six of their last nine NBA games and have problems especially against teams that play with a strong center.
If we take everything I’ve told you about the 76ers so far in light of their upcoming opponent, I’d be really surprised if Philadelphia somehow avoids losing their fourth straight away game tonight.
After all, while the Lakers aren’t exactly playing a heady season themselves with a 37-32 record, LeBron James is healthy (and delivering) for once, while Anthony Davis remains the main reason for my Lakers 76ers tip for tonight.
That’s because I like AJ at the five more than any other position anyway, and it was in that area of action that he played a terrific game on Tuesday against the Atlanta Hawks in his purple-and-gold’s 136-105 win.
The Lakers outrebounded the Hawks 48 to 42 at the boards, of which Anthony Davis alone grabbed 15 (!).
Since AJ is also excellent from behind the arc, I see tonight’s matchup with Bamba at the center position as not only a clear mismatch, but also a good argument for why the 76ers won’t see any land at all.
In my eyes, Mo Bamba simply doesn’t have what it takes to compete with a player of this caliber. The US-Ivorian hardly puts up any assists – 0 in the game against the Suns – doesn’t score often enough and doesn’t grab enough rebounds.
Another advantage for the Lakers tonight, however, apart from the home court advantage – which they like to feed off – is the return of Cam Reddish, who has recovered from injury, while Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt are getting closer and closer to an imminent comeback.
The Lakers are also eager to get revenge on Philadelphia for their embarrassing 94-138 loss on November 28, 2023.
You’ll have guessed it, because Joel Embiid, who was still in fine fettle back then, raged like a level 8 hurricane under the purple-and-gold’s board with 30 points and 11 rebounds.
However, his replacement Mamba will only provide a fresh breeze in comparison, meaning the Californians – who were also allowed an extra day to recover – should celebrate an unchallenged start-to-finish victory tonight.
Incidentally, the German betting providers also seem to share this opinion, as their current Lakers 76ers odds are unmistakable in this regard.
The LAL win odds have been set at an average of 1.23, whereas the same providers have estimated odds of around 4.00 should the visitors prevail despite all expectations and obstacles.
Conclusion: I expect the Lakers to pull away on the scoreboard pretty quickly. Philadelphia will continue to inch down the standings in the coming weeks as the loss of Joel Embiid hurts their style of play massively.
The Sixers thrive on rebounds, second-chance points and a dominant center who is particularly effective on the offensive end. Mo Bamba certainly does not stand up to comparison with the Cameroonian.
As a result, the purple-and-golds – in particular in the form of Anthony Davis – should be able to decide the game at the board and lay the foundations for the eventual overall victory with a half-time lead in hand.
My Lakers 76ers tip: halftime/final score 1/1
