And so it begins. Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers open up a long nine-game road trip when they take on the still-winless Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center tonight. Bryant will be playing in front of his hometown crowd for the final time and hopes that he’ll be able to carry the Lakers towards a much-needed win. Will things go his way this time around? Or will the Sixers finally get win No. 1?
Read on below for a comprehensive breakdown of this matchup. If you’re into college hoops as well, check out our preview of Maryland vs. North Carolina.
[sc:NBAArticles ]Los Angeles Lakers vs. Philadelphia 76ers Preview
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
When: Tuesday, December 1, 2015, 07:00 PM ET
Line: Los Angeles Lakers (-1.5) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (+1.5); total: 197.5 – view all NBA lines
TV Broadcast: TWSN, CSP
Betting on the Los Angeles Lakers (2-14)
[sc:NBA240banner ]Since announcing that he’ll be retiring by the end of this season, the farewell tour officially begins for Kobe Bryant tonight. He’ll be playing in front of his hometown crowd for the last time when the Los Angeles Lakers square off with the winless Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center.
The Lakers have two wins this season but have performed almost just as bad as the Sixers. They are currently on a six-game losing slide and their offense and defense have been major reasons for their struggles. The purple and gold are averaging 97.1 PPG (22nd) and are surrendering 106.0 PPG (27th). This needs to be solved if they hope to pick up the road win.
A good way would be to put the ball inside the hoop. The Lakers are knocking down just 41.0 percent of their field goals collectively, which is the second-lowest in the league today. Bryant has been a testament to this, as he’s shooting at a career-low of 30.0 percent and 20.2 percent from down town while posting 15.5 PPG through 13 games.
No matter how dismal Bryant shoots, head coach Byron Scott will continue giving him the green light because he has earned the privilege to do so. That being the case, the Lakers’ trio of promising talents in Jordan Clarkson, D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle will need to provide an efficient performance to help their team gut one out.
Clarkson has been the brightest spot for his team with 15.6 PPG and has shot the rock well at 47.1 percent. Russell (10.4 PPG and 3.0 APG) and Randle (11.4 PPG and 8.6 RPG), on the other hand, are still getting their feet wet but have shown their potential in some games.
As for the defense, the onus is on former Pacers’ center Roy Hibbert to prevent any easy buckets in the paint. He’s been doing a solid job in doing that with a team-best of 2.1 BPG despite being a non-factor on offense.
Los Angeles is 1-8 SU and 3-6 ATS on the road this season.
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Betting on the Philadelphia 76ers (0-18)
The Philadelphia 76ers have probably forgotten how to win or how it even feels to win. The last time they won was about eight months ago which dates all the way back to the 2014-15 season. Right now, the Sixers have opened 0-18, tying the NBA’s worst ever start. They’ll look to save themselves from further embarrassment when Kobe Bryant and his Los Angeles Lakers come to town.
In order for them to succeed in doing so, they need to stop being extremely careless with the ball and start putting some points on the scoreboard. The Sixers are currently averaging 19.0 turnovers per game and 90.7 points per game, which is the worst in the league this season. That said, expect the pair of Jahlil Okafor and Robert Covington to lead the charge later.
Okafor, the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, has been on pace to snag the Rookie of the Year award. He’s been a factor on both sides of the court, owning a team-best of 17.5 PPG and 1.6 BPG. Covington, meanwhile, is in the zone lately. He’s tallying 18.0 PPG in the past five contests and that stretch includes a 28-point explosion against Houston last Sunday.
But Okafor and Covington will need to be more cautious with their decision-making as they are averaging 6.8 turnovers per game combined this season.
Philadelphia is only 3-7 SU and 5-5 ATS in its previous 10 meetings with the Lakers.
Writer’s Prediction
Lakers (-1.5) win, 101-95. Create a betting account now and put your NBA predictions to the test!
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