Filip Tomic
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It’s a dream matchup tonight at Crypto.com Arena, with two of the NBA’s top scorers squaring off as Joel Embiid’s Philadelphia 76ers take on LeBron James’ Los Angeles Lakers. Catch the game live on ESPN from 10:00 pm ET, I’ve prepared a same game parlay which is available below.
Don’t forget to also check our predictions on the side and total for the rest of Wednesday’s 11-game slate, including the 1st part of the ESPN doubleheader between the Brooklyn Nets and Memphis Grizzlies.
Let’s get into the 76ers vs Lakers game first though!
LeBron James to score 35+ points (+174)
Joel Embiid to score 35+ points (+100)
James Harden over 10.5 assists (+106)
Parlay odds: +955
LeBron James to score 35+ points (+174)
What LeBron James is doing at the age of 37 and in Year 19 in the NBA is truly remarkable. With his latest 38-point triple-double against his former team, Cleveland, he has moved into 1st place in points per game, and is looking to win the scoring title for only the 2nd time in his career. He will need to keep the scoring going, though, as Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo are just 0.2 points per game behind him, so anything can change with one bad performance. He has scored over 35 points in 3 straight games and coming back home from a long road trip, there’s no doubt he will be up for the challenge against Embiid and the Sixers.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Philadelphia 76ers vs Los Angeles Lakers
Joel Embiid to score 35+ points (+100)
Embiid has been dealing with back soreness for several games now and after a modest performance against Toronto in which he scored just 21 points, he decided to take the night off against Miami. That should have done him good and I think we’ll see a much better performance from him tonight. Before the Toronto game he had a streak of 30+ points in 4 straight games. The Lakers don’t really have any inside presence at the moment, so he should have his way with them. LA is giving up 51.4 points per game over their past 3 games from inside the paint, and if they decide to start LeBron at center, as they have been doing, Embiid could go crazy. It also helps that since the Harden trade he is averaging 14 free-throw attempts per game.
James Harden over 10.5 assists (+106)
Like his partner, Embiid, Harden took the night off against Miami on Monday, which helped him in taking care of the hamstring that’s been bothering him for quite some time. The Beard is averaging 9.8 assists per game over his last 8 outings, and he was been dominant in the 2 games he played as a Net against the Lakers this season. His averages from those games are 34.5 points, 11 rebounds and 10.5 assists per game. Although I don’t think he will score a ton, facing a defensive liability like Russell Westbrook should do him well, and I expect him to get others involved and hopefully get at least 11 assists. The Lakers are one of the worst teams in the NBA when it comes to giving up assists – over their last 3 games their opponents have averaged 28 assists per game against them, which is the worst mark in the NBA.
Now check out our same game parlay for Brooklyn Nets vs Memphis Grizzlies (+2851 odds!)
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