It’s a big day in the NBA, as the trade deadline will arrive at 3:00 pm ET on Thursday afternoon. The court festivities should be entertaining, too, with an eight-game schedule headlined by the Philadelphia 76ers visiting the Los Angeles Lakers at 10:00 pm ET on Amazon Prime. Philadelphia (29-21) is riding a five-game winning streak, while Los Angeles (30-19) is coming off a routine victory in Brooklyn on Tuesday.
Let’s get into my 76ers vs. Lakers.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Los Angeles Lakers odds
Money line: 76ers +135 / Lakers -160
Spread: 76ers +3.5 (-110) / Lakers -3.5 (-110)
Total: Over 232.5 (-110) / Under 232.5 (-110)
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Los Angeles Lakers best bet #1: Under 232.5 (-110)
The 76ers’ current success can be largely attributed to their defense. Opponents averaged 115.3 points per game against Philly in 2025-26 and all five during that span were held under that number — including Golden State’s 94 on Tuesday. Neither Philadelphia nor Los Angeles play very fast. The 76ers are ranked 14th in possessions per game and the Lakers are 23rd in that department. The Sixers have been slowing things down of late, averaging 96.4 possessions over the last three days — 28th in the organization during this stretch.
LA has been all over the place offensively of late and can’t be trusted to post a big number – even with Luka Doncic running the offense. The Lakers have scored 100 points or less in two of their last four games. Austin Reaves is finally back from the calf injury that has kept him out since Christmas, but he got just 21 minutes of court time Tuesday and will remain on the minutes limit for now. With Paul George suspended for 25 games, only two players on Philadelphia’s active roster (Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey) are averaging more than 15.1 ppg. The under is 3-1 in the last four in Philadelphia, 6-3 in the last nine in LA, and 3-1 in the last four head to head meetings. Look for those trends to keep up.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Los Angeles Lakers best player prop bet: VJ Edgecombe Over 1.5 makes threes (-146)
Edgecome impressed in his rookie season. The former Baylor champion is averaging 15.1 points per game and is coming off a 25-point game against Golden State in his latest outing. Edgecombe have conceded three points in their last two games and three of their last five. He has made 15 attempts from the city in the last two competitions.
The No. 3 overall pick in last year’s draft now faces a Los Angeles team that ranks 12th in three-pointers per game (13.7). Allowed 79 successful long-distance drives over last five contests (15.8 average). Edgecom should be able to handle uppercase letters.
