Los Angeles Lakers vs Philadelphia 76ers Odds, Picks, Predictions | NBA Betting Preview (Friday, March 22)

The Philadelphia 76ers face the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, Mar. 22 at 10:30 p.m. ET on NBA TV  — our expert prediction and betting picks for today's game.

The Philadelphia 76ers head to Los Angeles for a matchup against the Lakers as they continue their West Coast road trip. Can the 76ers fight their way out of the Eastern Conference play-in tournament or will the Lakers be able to gain some ground in a crowded Western Conference?

Let's dive into our 76ers vs Lakers pick and prediction.

Pick: Lakers -8

Pick: Lakers -8

The 76ers continue to be without the reigning MVP, Joel Embiid, but they also may be without other key players. Tobias Harris (ankle) is questionable and they will be missing De'Anthony Melton (back) and Robert Covington (knee).

Philadelphia has struggled out of the All-Star Break. The 76ers are 24th in Net Rating (-5.7) and have a not-so-nice record of just 6-9. They are playing at the second-slowest Pace in the league (94.37) and have an eFG% of just 50% (29th). The team simply cannot buy a bucket despite having a solid shot selection, as their expected eFG% is 55.6%, ninth-best in the league, per Cleaning the Glass.

On the other side, they are allowing a ton of looks at the rim and from 3 and have struggled to defend both. Considering the 76ers' primary line of defense at the center position is Mo Bamba and Paul Reed, the Lakers should find success attacking the rim.

The Lakers once again are listing LeBron James (ankle — questionable) and Anthony Davis (Achilles — probable) on the injury report for this game. They have not played since Monday and do not play again until Sunday, so the team should be very well-rested for this contest.

Los Angeles is 7-6 since the All-Star break and has been pretty average with a -0.3 Net Rating across those 13 games. The Lakers actually have had a bit of rough luck defensively though as their opponents have shot well above expectation from all areas of the floor. However, they've gotten a bit fortunate on offense as they are shooting a blistering 42.1% from 3-point range since the break.

The one matchup the Lakers should truly dominate is on the interior. They have the best shooting percentage at the rim since the break (78.3%), which is a shot the Sixers have allowed at the third-highest frequency in the league. Davis and James both could be set for big nights if they can get the layup line going.

While the Lakers have not been all that impressive this season, they certainly are better than this iteration of the 76ers. The current Lakers' starting lineup of D'Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, James and Davis has a +8.0 Net Rating. The four 76ers starters not on the report of Maxey, Kyle Lowry, Kelly Oubre and Bamba have played just 159 possessions together for a -3.8 Net Rating.

The Lakers are a nightmare for the 76ers stylistically without Embiid. Considering their significant rest advantage, I'll lay the points with L.A. in this spot.

Pick: Lakers -8

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