Sporting identical records, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Indiana Pacers will break that deadlock and restart their seasons this coming Saturday when they cross paths at the Orlando bubble. At press, the sportsbook favors the “visiting” team by 5 and a half points. Check out our preview of this highly anticipated game below.
The Sixers are less of a force when they don’t have Joel Embiid, but that doesn’t mean they can easily be pushed around. One of the reasons the Sixers signed up Al Horford was to act as some sort of insurance for Embiid, who’s reportedly dealing with a lower-body injury. However, Embiid is reportedly ready to play and expected to start against the Pacers, which is good news for Philadelphia. Embiid scored 32 points and grabbed 11 rebounds during the Sixers’ 119-116 home win against the Pacers on Nov. 30, 2019. Embiid and his backup, veteran Al Horford, could be bigger trouble for Indiana this time around, with the Pacers missing a key piece in their frontcourt in Domantas Sabonis.
The Sixers are 6-4 against the spread in their last 10 games.
As mentioned earlier, Sabonis is not expected to play against the Sixers. While Sabonis’ absence is a thorn in the side of Indiana, the team still has Myles Turner, who’s one of the best centers in the league right now. Also, the Pacers will have Victor Oladipo playing, which was not ascertained right away when the team entered the Orlando bubble. It was originally thought that Oladipo would sit the rest of the season to avoid any issues with his repaired knee, but now that he’s decided to play, that means more firepower for Indiana from its backcourt. Together with Malcolm Brogdon, the Pacers have a formidable backcourt duo. Speaking of Brogdon, the former Rookie of the Year awardee had 21 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists, when the Pacers took down Philly at home, 101-95 last January.
The Pacers are 3-0 against the spread in their last three showdowns with Philadelphia.
