It’s a big day in the NBA as the trade deadline falls at 3:00 PM ET on Thursday afternoon. The on-court festivities should be entertaining as well, with an eight-game schedule headlined by the Philadelphia 76ers visiting the Los Angeles Lakers at 10 PM ET on Amazon Prime. Philadelphia (29-21) is riding a five-game winning streak, while Los Angeles (30-19) is coming off a routine win in Brooklyn on Tuesday.
Let’s take a look at my 76ers vs. Lakers predictions.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Los Angeles Lakers Odds
Moneyline: 76ers +135 / Lakers -160
Spread: 76ers +3.5 (-110) / Lakers -3.5 (-110)
Total: More than 232.5 (-110) / Less than 232.5 (-110)
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Los Angeles Lakers Best Bet No. 1: Under 232.5 (-110)
The 76ers’ current winning streak can largely be attributed to their defense. Opponents are scoring 115.3 points per game against Philly in 2025-26 and all five during this span have been held under that number – including Golden State with just 94 on Tuesday. Neither Philadelphia nor Los Angeles play at a particularly fast pace. The 76ers rank 14th in possession per game and the Lakers rank 23rd in that department. The Sixers have really slowed things down as of late, averaging just 96.4 possessions over the last three outings – 28th in the association during this stretch.
LA has been all over the place offensively lately and can’t be trusted to post big numbers – even when Luka Doncic is leading the charge. The Lakers have scored 100 points or less in two of their last four games. Austin Reaves is finally back from a calf injury that has sidelined him since Christmas, but he only got 21 minutes of game time on Tuesday and is likely to remain on a minutes restriction for the time being. With Paul George suspended for 25 games, only two players on Philadelphia’s active roster (Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey) are averaging more than 15.1 ppg. The under is 3-1 in Philadelphia’s last four on the road, 6-3 in LA’s last nine overall, and 3-1 in their last four head-to-head meetings. Look for these trends to continue.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Los Angeles Lakers Best Player Prop Bet: VJ Edgecombe Over 1.5 Made Threes (-146)
Edgecome has impressed in his rookie season. The former Baylor standout is averaging 15.1 points per game and had a 25-point performance against Golden State in his most recent outing. Edgecombe has lost multiple three-pointers in two of the last games and in three of the last five. He has collected 15 tries from downtown in the past two games.
The No. 3 overall pick in last year’s draft now faces a Los Angeles team that gives up the 12th most three-pointers per game (13.7). In the last five matches, 79 successful long-distance calls have been made (an average of 15.8). Edgecome should be able to capitalize.
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