Philadelphia 76ers vs Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction, Odds and Picks for Saturday, 12/21/24

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been on fire of late. They have managed at least 115 points in 7 of their last 8 games and have surpassed the 120-point mark in each of their last 2 contests. Tonight, they will be taking on a Philadelphia 76ers team that will be holding out Joel Embiid. While they will miss his scoring here, it will mean that the offense will run through Tyrese Maxey. The 76ers are just 29th in pace over the last 10 games but with their superstar center out, they will not have a need to work the ball into the post. Do not be surprised to see their pace increase as a result. With the Cavaliers 10th in that category over that same stretch, they could be set to rope the 76ers into a fast back-and-forth game.

The Cavaliers offense has been clicking, ranking 7th in the league in offensive rating. In the previous meeting between the sides the 76ers struggled to contain the backcourt pair of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, who dropped 23 and 25 points, respectively. Without Embiid to deter them from driving in the paint, and Maxey being an undersized defender as a point guard, look for them to dominate proceedings once more. The Cavaliers have however been vulnerable in transition, with only 6 teams allowing more fast break points per game over the last 10. That will be an incentive for the 76ers to get out and run. It should help ensure there are enough possessions in this one for the over to hit.

Philadelphia 76ers vs Cleveland Cavaliers Predictions: Over 220.5 available at time of publishing. Playable to over 222. 

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