The Philadelphia 76ers (34-29) and Cleveland Cavaliers (39-25) will face off in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. ET from Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The game will broadcast live on FDSOH.
The Cavaliers are 12.5-point favorites over the 76ers on the spread (Cavaliers -12.5), with the over/under set at 226.5 total points. Cleveland is a -700 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while Philadelphia is +500 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my 76ers vs. Cavaliers predictions and NBA picks for Monday, March 9.
76ers vs Cavaliers Prediction, Pick
- 76ers vs Cavaliers pick: Cavaliers Team Total Over 120.5 Points
My Cavaliers vs. 76ers best bet is on Cleveland to score over 120.5 points. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
76ers vs Cavaliers Odds
| 76ers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+12.5 -112 | 226.5 -115o / -105u | +500 |
| Cavaliers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-12.5 -108 | 226.5 -115o / -105u | -700 |
76ers vs Cavaliers NBA Preview
The top four of the Eastern Conference is currently made up of the Pistons, Celtics, Knicks and Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers have split with the Pistons and defeated the Knicks in the last two weeks. However, they could not move to 3-1 against that group as they fell to the Celtics yesterday.
A disastrous second quarter doomed them, as the Cavaliers were outscored 21-10, and that proved to be the final margin as they fell 109-98.
The Cavs are back in action tonight as they host another Atlantic Division foe.
The Cavaliers have taken the first three meetings against the 76ers and six of the last seven overall.
This time around, they will see a very shorthanded 76ers team.
The 76ers went into the year excited about the prospect of Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, Paul George and No. 3 overall pick VJ Edgecombe sharing the floor.
Embiid has been mostly in-and-out of the lineup, missing another game with an oblique strain tonight.
Maxey scored 30 points against the Hawks again, but also injured his finger with 16 seconds left and will miss at least two games.
Edgecombe has missed the last two games and is questionable tonight, while George is still serving his 25-game suspension.
That means Kelly Oubre Jr. may be the team's only starter available tonight. That certainly is not good news given their struggles of late, ranking 25th in offensive rating, 22nd in defensive rating and 23rd in net rating over their last 10 games.
Now they have to deal with a Cavaliers team that ranks sixth in the league.
Despite the loss yesterday, they got Donovan Mitchell back and he scored 30 points. He has also scored 30 points in three of his last four games against Philadelphia.
It remains to be seen if they will get Jarrett Allen back tonight, but if so, he could have a big game with no Embiid to contend with down low.
76ers vs Cavaliers Predictions, Betting Analysis
Cavaliers Team Total Over 120.5 Points
James Harden has now played 10 (of 12) games with the Cavaliers, and since his arrival, the Cavaliers rank fourth in offensive rating.
That is despite Harden, Mitchell, Allen and Evan Mobley missing games.
While they will look to get everyone on the same page for the playoffs, they should be firing on all cylinders tonight.
They have scored 121 points in four of their last five games against Philadelphia while averaging 127.4 points per game.
The 76ers certainly miss Embiid's offensive production.
However, they have also allowed 138 points to the Knicks, 126 to the Pelicans, 131 to the Spurs, and 125 to the Hawks without him in the lineup.
Given that, it is certainly reasonable that the Cavaliers hit 121 tonight as well.
Donovan Mitchell Over 26.5 Points
If so, Mitchell likely has a big night.
He has scored 30 points in three of his last four games against the 76ers, going for 37, 35, and 46 points in the three overs.
He has also scored 27 points in six of his last 10 games.
James Harden 8+ Assists
Harden will take on his former team for the first time back in the Eastern Conference.
He has recorded eight assists in seven of 10 games with Cleveland while averaging 8.1 per game.
Jaylon Tyson 4+ Rebounds
Jaylon Tyson has recorded five rebounds in all three games against Philadelphia this season.
He is averaging 4.7 rebounds over his last 10 games, pulling down four in seven of those games.
Without Allen, he has had four rebounds in 10 consecutive games.
Quentin Grimes 15+ Points
Meanwhile, Quentin Grimes has scored 16 and 26 points in his last two games while playing over 30 minutes in each.
Without Maxey, that volume should increase, but I like him for at least 15 points tonight.
76ers vs Cavaliers Best Bet
- Cavaliers Team Total Over 120.5 Points (-120, DraftKings)
76ers vs Cavaliers Parlay Picks
- Donovan Mitchell Over 26.5 Points
- James Harden 8+ Assists
- Jaylon Tyson 4+ Rebounds
- Quentin Grimes 15+ Points
Parlay Odds: +380 via DraftKings
