The Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers have championship aspirations this season, but both teams have fallen short of expectations so far. On Thursday night, they meet in Philadelphia, as both teams will look to jump start their seasons behind their respective MVP candidates. In our NBA betting picks for Thursday, we look at Lakers vs 76ers in a nationally televised inter-conference contest.
Lakers vs 76ers FanDuel Sportsbook Promo Code
New bettors at FanDuel Sportsbook can get a risk-free bet worth up to $1,000 on this Lakers vs 76ers contest!
New bettors at FanDuel Sportsbook can take advantage of the site’s welcome bonus when betting on Lakers vs 76ers. That welcome bonus is a risk-free bet worth up to $1,000, which can deliver peace of mind to players placing their first bet on the site. Bettors can utilize this offer by placing their first bet at FanDuel, keeping their profits if they win, or being reimbursed up to $1,000 if they lose.
Lakers vs 76ers Betting Pick
This game will be played at 7:30 PM ET at Wells Fargo Center on Thursday, January 27, 2022.
Why Bet The Lakers:
✅ The Lakers have some serious roster issues, but the Sixers are missing Danny Green and Seth Curry ahead of this game against Los Angeles. That will severely impact their ability to score from the perimeter, which will help the Lakers stay in this game until the very end.
✅ From a matchup perspective, the Sixers are going to struggle to get the easy points that they are accustomed to with Joel Embiid. He is going to be guarded by Anthony Davis and the other Lakers bigs in this game, which will slow him down more than most teams are able to. With the Sixers’ MVP candidate limited, the Lakers will take advantage of the depleted 76ers squad.
Gambling Problem? Call or TEXT 1-800-Gambler 21+
✅ The Lakers have won two of their last three games on their current road trip, and went toe to toe with the top team in the East in the Miami Heat during their lone loss in that stretch. They are starting to hit their stride in recent games, and will continue to do so as their trio of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook are all on the floor at the same time.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers won their last game, beating the Brooklyn Nets on the road to get back to .500 on the season. More importantly, they got Anthony Davis back on the floor in that game, with Davis logging 25 minutes and scoring eight points with four blocks. Now, the Lakers will hope that Davis and the rest of their bigs can slow down Joel Embiid, who is playing at an extremely high level.
Fortunately for the Lakers, they will not have to worry about the two top outside shooters for the Sixers in this contest. Danny Green and Seth Curry are both out of this game for the Sixers, which will allow the Lakers to focus more on defending the paint and mid-range than usual. If the Lakers can keep Embiid in check, they have a great chance to win outright as an underdog here.
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers have won three of their last four games, taking advantage of a weak point in their schedule to remain in the top-six in the Eastern Conference. Their three recent wins have come against the Orlando Magic, San Antonio Spurs, and New Orleans Pelicans, with the Sixers losing at home to the Los Angeles Clippers in that span. In this game, they will need another MVP-caliber performance from Joel Embiid.
One would think that the Sixers will also need to win their individual matchups against either LeBron James or Russell Westbrook to come away with a win here. Embiid has a tough matchup against Anthony Davis, while Tobias Harris is likely to take on LeBron and Tyrese Maxey is matched up with Westbrook. If the Sixers can win two of those three key matchups, the Sixers should be able to secure a big win on their home floor.