The 76ers are sorely missing Joel Embiid at the position, and the Clippers’ Ivica Zubac looks set to take advantage of his absence against Philly’s big backups on Sunday afternoon, according to our NBA betting picks.
The Philadelphia 76ers continue to tread water without Joel Embiid as they try to stay alive for a chance at the NBA playoffs. Having not had an All-Star since January 30, Philly is in for a tough time with a Los Angeles Clippers team hoping to compete for an NBA championship.
THE NBA Odds favor the Clippers by 10 points at home and Los Angeles’ all-star cast should have a big night. But it’s the unsung hero of his starting lineup who could prove to have one of the biggest impacts against the Embiid-less 76ers.
Find out where my best bets lie in our NBA Pick and predictions for the 76ers against the Clippers on Sunday, March 24.
76ers vs. Clippers odds
76ers vs. Clippers predictions
Without Joel Embiid, the Philadelphia 76ers have slowly seen their position in the Eastern Conference playoff race slip. Sitting as the No. 8 seed after losing 15 of their last 24 games, the 76ers are a shell of themselves without the reigning MVP.
Not only does Embiid lead the NBA in scoring (35.3) and PER (34.68), but he is sixth in rebounding. Without her scoring prowess, coach Nick Nurse relied more on the All-Star guard. Tyrese Maxey, who ranks 14th in the NBA in points per game (25.8). However, it lacks an obvious presence at the bottom.
Embiid was the anchor of Philly’s defense, averaging 1.8 blocks per game and 8.7 defensive rebounds. Without him, the 76ers struggled to fill the void and saw their rebounding slip. Tobias Harris is the next rebounder behind the seven-time All-Star at just 6.3 per game.
Nurse relied on a platoon of Paul Reed and Mo Bamba at center, who combined for 9.7 rebounds per game, but that’s clearly not a long-term solution.
For now, Philly will have to continue to rely on their bench, and it’s going to be tough against that. Los Angeles Clippers team. As Los Angeles deploys several future Hall of Famers, its center Ivica Zubac who has the opportunity to have a solid afternoon against Philadelphia.
Zubac may not make headlines, but he’s an integral part of this championship-minded team. Even if he doesn’t have a stellar performance in Embiid’s absence, he’s ready to pile up the rebounds and take advantage of a Philly team that’s struggling to bring down the boards.
Without Embiid, the 76ers slipped to 20th in the NBA in rebounds per game (42.6) and 26th in defensive rebounds (31.6). As a result, they allow their opponents the seventh most rebounds per game (44.7) and the fourth most offensively (11.1).
This opens the door for Zubac to clean the glass and finish with at least 10 rebounds. The 27-year-old leads the Clippers in rebounds per game with 9.1 and is 25th in the league in contested rebound percentage among players who have played in at least 40 games this season.
Zubac should be able to take advantage of a Philadelphia team that is allowing 14.13 rebounds per game to centers this year.
My best bet: Ivica Zubac Over 9.5 rebounds (+105 on bet365)
Parlay 76ers vs Clippers in the same game
Zubac not only gets a chance to show off his rebounding ability in this game, but he can also add some scoring to the mix. He’s averaging 11.3 points per game this season and faces a 76ers team that is allowing the seventh-most points per game to centers this season (23.89).
The hole left by Embiid goes beyond center defense issues, with Maxey expected to take on a larger role this season to help Philadelphia’s offense continue to shoot. As a result, he’s averaging a career-high 25.8 points per game and has scored at least 27 in four of his last five games.
Maxey should be able to continue putting up impressive numbers against a Clippers defense that has allowed the 10th most points per game to point guards this season (25.17). He has collected at least 26 points 30 times in 61 games this season (49.1%).
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76ers vs Clippers spread and Over/Under analysis
In Embiid, the 76ers started as 9.5-point underdogs against the Clippers. There was a slight line move before the game, with most books now listing the Clippers at -10.
Although Los Angeles is one of the NBA’s top contenders, they are just 34-35 ATS this season and 3-7 over the last 10 games. Philadelphia, on the other hand, has a respectable 37-33 record against the spread and has managed to cover in three of its last four games.
Without Embiid, the game total opened at 215 and fell to 214.5 in some books. Both defenses rank in the top 10 in points allowed per game.
Few teams have gambled worse on the Over this season than the Clippers at just 28-38-2, but they’ve done it in six of their last nine games. While the 76ers are betting just 35-35 on the Over, that ranks ninth in the NBA this season.
76ers vs Clippers betting trend to know
The Clippers have hit the Under in 36 of their last 64 games (+7.40 units / 11% ROI). Find more NBA Betting Trends for the 76ers against the Clippers.
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76ers vs. Clippers game information
Location: | Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California |
Date: | Sunday March 24, 2024 |
Trick : | 3:30 p.m. ET |
TV: | NBC Sports Philadelphia, Bally SoCal |
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