The Cleveland Cavaliers got whupped on Wednesday, run off their home floor by a Charlotte Hornets team that came in losers of 11 of 13. It was embarrassing, and the question now becomes whether it is indicative of this team’s quality moving forward, or if they have the mental fortitude to respond with a much better effort.
Unfortunately for the Cavs, their next game is a road tilt in Philadelphia against the new-look 76ers. James Harden has looked svelte and locked in for the Sixers over his three games. Do the Cavs have an answer for Harden and Embiid? And can they score enough to keep pace?
The Cavs play the Philadelphia 76ers Friday night hoping to slow Joel Embiid and James Harden. What do you need to know about who is playing and how to bet?
The 76ers are winners of four-straight games, including three blowout victories in their last three games with Harden on the floor. They have scored at least 123 points in four-straight games. The offense is humming thus far. Do the Cavs have a chance to slow them down?
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Philadelphia 76ers: Odds, spread, over/under
The Cavaliers (36-26) will visit the 76ers (38-23) tonight. According to our partners over at WynnBet, the 76ers are favored by 7.5 points. The over/under point total is 217.5. When these two teams met a couple of weeks ago, albeit without James Harden in the lineup, the 76ers won by ten with a point total of 196.
Both teams played on Wednesday with a day off. The 76ers were home hosting the New York Knicks, so they didn’t have to travel; Cleveland was home themselves, so they took the short flight over to Philly.
Cavs vs 76ers: Projected starting lineups, injury report
76ers starters: Tyrese Maxey, James Harden, Matisse Thybulle, Tobias Harris, Joel Embiid
Cavs starters: Darius Garland, Isaac Okoro, Lauri Markkanen, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen
The 76ers’ key injuries: DeAndre Jordan (doubtful, newly-signed)
The Cavaliers’ key injuries: Collin Sexton (out for season, knee); Rajon Rondo (doubtful, toe); Caris LeVert (out, foot); Darius Garland (probable, back); Dylan Windler (out, G League assignment)
Cavs vs 76ers: Prediction
Darius Garland was rusty in his return from back rehab, scoring a blistering 33 points but also committing seven turnovers vs only four assists. He needs scoring help from his teammates, but he was struggling to conduct the offense as he normally does.
The 76ers have been on fire since Harden made his debut, but they also played a couple of teams in the Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks who aren’t equipped to hand with Joel Embiid, so he and Harden feasted at the foul line. The Cavs have one of the largest front lines in the league (certainly the tallest) and give up the second-fewest opponent free throw attempts per game. Keep Philly off the line, and you might just keep them away from a win.
To pull off the win the Cavs will need to run with the ball often, and they will need to be sharp on offense. The 76ers will likely feel they can get away with putting Harden on Lauri Markkanen; the Cavs can’t settle for post-ups in that scenario, but instead must run Lauri off of screens. Harden doesn’t like to work on defense, and the Cavs should attack that.
The 76ers are playing really well, and this game is at home, so there is the possibility this game blows wide open. If the Cavs play like they did Wednesday against the Hornets, it will. Yet their defensive toughness is real, and they will want to avenge both their loss last month to Philly and two nights ago to Charlotte. This one stays close.
Prediction: Philadelphia 105, Cleveland 101
The Bet: Cleveland (+7.5), UNDER
Cavs vs 76ers: Where to Watch
This matchup is an important one for Eastern Conference playoff seeding, but unfortunately for the nation at least, it will only be on regional channels. Local viewers can tune into Bally Sports Ohio, and those in East Pennsylvania can watch NBA Sports Philadelphia. The rest of the nation can watch on NBA League Pass. The game tips off at 7:00pm ET.
Cleveland Cavaliers Upcoming Schedule
The Cavaliers make their long-awaited return to national television on Sunday, hosting the Toronto Raptors on ESPN in a matchup of Rookie of the Year contenders. Scottie Barnes and the Raptors are also just behind the Cavs in the standings, making this game fraught with intrigue.
The Cavs then hit the road for a three-game Eastern Conference trip all of next week. They start in Indiana, then go all the way down to the East-leading Miami Heat, before zinging back to the Midwest to face the Chicago Bulls. It’s a tough stretch in a crowded Eastern Conference.