Philadelphia 76ers vs. LA Lakers Analysis & Spread Pick 1/15/23

Philadelphia 76ers (26-16 SU, 23-18-1 ATS) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (19-23 SU, 18-21-3 ATS)
When: Sunday, January 15th, 9:30 PM (ET)
Where: Crypto.com Arena, CA, Los Angeles
TV: NBCS

Point Spread: PHI -3.5/ LAL +3.5
Total: 234.5
Money Line: Philadelphia 76ers -163/ +137

Notable Injuries

76ers

• Tobias Harris (Questionable) Left Knee

Lakers

• Anthony Davis (Out) Foot
• Patrick Beverley (Questionable) Hip
• LeBron James (Probable) Ankle
• Lonnie Walker IV (Out) Tailbone
• Austin Reaves (Out) Hamstring

Recent Form

Heading into the game, Philadelphia is 26-16 overall. When taking to the road, Philadelphia has a mark of 9-9 and a win percentage of 50%. Currently, the team is 4th in the Eastern Conference. So far, they are 23-18-1 vs. the spread. When looking at how the team has performed of late straight and vs. the spread, they are 3-2 in their past five games and 2-3 ATS. Over their past ten games, they are 6-4 SU and 4-6 ATS.

In their last outing, the 76ers emerged victorious against the Jazz, winning by a score of 118-117. James Harden led the team in scoring with 31 points. The Philadelphia team was not able to cover the spread as 6-point favorites.

Heading into the game, Los Angeles is 19-23 overall. When playing at home, Los Angeles has a mark of 10-9 and a win percentage of 53%. Currently, the team is 13th in the Western Conference. So far, they are 18-21-3 vs. the spread. The Lakers need a win in today’s matchup vs. Philadelphia to avoid their 3rd straight loss.

Most recently, Los Angeles lost to the Mavericks by a score of 119-115. Russell Westbrook and his 28 points were not enough for the team to pull out a win as 2-point underdogs. The Lakers also finished with an ATS loss in the game.

The Historicals

In the most recent matchup between the two teams, the 76ers picked up the 133-122 win over the Lakers. The 76ers margin of victory was enough to cover the spread as 4.5 point favorite. This has been the only matchup between the two teams this season. In terms of betting, Philadelphia has an ATS record of 4-1 in the previous five matchups vs. Los Angeles. This mark has come on an average scoring margin of +9 points per game in favor of the 76ers. In these contests, they averaged a combined 223 points per game, leading to an over-under mark of 2-3.

Analysis

This year, the Philadelphia offense is not only near the NBA average in points at 113.8 points per game, but they are also playing at a pace similar to the league average. So far, the 76ers are ranked 20th in possessions per contest. The 76ers have been able to put together a strong offensive attack despite sitting just 4th in 3-point shooting percentage. Overall, they are among the league leaders in attempts at 33.7 attempts per game. Defensively, the 76ers have been one of the best units in the NBA, allowing just 107.33 points per game. So far, they have done an excellent job defending the 3-point arc, allowing teams to hit just 34.56%.

Heading into this matchup, Philadelphia is in jeopardy of not having Tobias Harris in the lineup as he is questionable. This season, he is the team’s second-leading scorer at 16.3 points per game. So far, Joel Embiid leads the team in scoring and averages 33.4 points per contest.

This season, Los Angeles is among the league leaders in scoring, averaging 116.6 points per game. So far, the Lakers are also one of the more up-tempo teams in the league, sitting at 102.9 possessions per game. Los Angeles has struggled with their 3-point shot this season, as they are currently ranked just 26th in 3-point shooting percentage at 33.7%. In addition, they are near the bottom of the league in attempts, at just 30.8 attempts per contest. The defense has been a struggle for Los Angeles, as they are currently allowing 115.15 points per game. In terms of their 3-point defense, opposing teams have hit 35.38% of their looks from deep, placing the Lakers 18th in the NBA.

Heading into today’s game, Los Angeles will need a strong offensive effort from LeBron James and the team’s supporting cast as Anthony Davis won’t be available vs. Philadelphia. So far, Davis is averaging 27.4 points per game. James leads the Lakers at 29.0 points per contest.

Betting Trends

• The 76ers are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games playing on 0 days’ rest.
• The 76ers are 1-6 ATS in their last seven road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
• The Lakers are 4-1 ATS in their last five games playing on two days’ rest.
• The Lakers are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games overall.

Joes Pick To Cover The Spread

I like the Lakers here. They’ve lost two straight, but one was on the road in Denver and the other in overtime at home against the Mavericks. They won five in a row straight up and against the spread previous to that, and I look for them to get back on track tonight. Take LAL and the points!