Sixers vs Lakers: How to watch, betting preview & predictions

The Sixers are back in action tonight as they prepare to host the Los Angeles Lakers in hopes of building on their most recent win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Sixers vs Lakers game info

Who: Los Angeles Lakers (10-7) at Philadelphia 76ers (11-5)

When: Monday, November 27, 2023 @ 7:00 pm EST

Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pa.

Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia, NBA TV, Spectrum SportsNet

Sixers vs Lakers betting info

Spread: Sixers -6 | Lakers +6
Moneyline: Sixers -225 | Lakers +185
Total: Over/Under 231

Injury Report

Lakers: Anthony Davis (left adductor/hip spasm) is probable, LeBron James (left calf contusion) and Cam Reddish (left groin strain) are questionable, and Rui Hachimura (nasal fracture), Jarred Vanderbilt (left heel bursitis) and Gabe Vincent (left knee effusion) are out.

76ers: Danuel House Jr. (left quad contusion) and Jaden Springer (N/a; illness) are out and Kelly Oubre Jr. (N/a; fractured rib) is out.

What to look for from the Sixers

At the start of the season, if anyone would have said the Sixers would be 11-5 without James Harden nor any huge offseason moves to acquire talent or depth, you would have called them crazy. The Sixers have fixed all of that, having unloaded Harden to the Clippers and, in turn, restocking their draft currency as well as netting some key depth pieces for the roster.

Last years MVP, Joel Embiid, and the newest star in the city, Tyrese Maxey have been dominating throughout the start of the season. Embiid is averaging 32.1 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game to go along with a steal and 1.9 blocks. He’s arguably having the most productive year of his career and showing that last season’s MVP year wasn’t the peak of his powers.

Maxey, having grown in each of his professional seasons, has taken a huge leap this year averaging 26.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game.

Losing Harden was a huge problem for the Sixers…until it became apparent that Maxey is playing on another level and no longer needed the assistance of Harden. He’s stepped into the spotlight in Philadelphia and hasn’t missed a beat. He’s taken his game to all new levels and despite some poor shooting over the past week, Maxey is still shooting 46.1% from the floor and 40.2% on his three-point attempts. Those numbers figure to improve as he’s not one to sit in a slump for very long.

What the Sixers brought back from the Clippers in the Harden deal was depth. Nico Batum has established himself as an invaluable piece of the rotation while Robert Covington and Marcus Morris Jr. have been steadily getting acclimated to the style the Sixers play and giving them some valuable minutes. With Kelly Oubre’s injury, the Sixers lost someone who had become a huge source of scoring and energy for the team. Yet, as Oubre has missed time, DeAnthony Melton has stepped up his game and Tobias Harris has continue to give the team close to 20 points and 6 rebounds each game.

What to look for from the Lakers

The Lakers are coming into Philadelphia for the second game of a four-game road trip, hoping to improve on their current 7th place position in the Western Conference. It’s not as bad as that may sound since the Western Conference’s top seven teams are only separated by 2.5 games. The Lakers have won four of their last five games including the opening game of their road trip, a 121-115 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night.

The Lakers started the season with Lebron James and Anthony Davis, having not played anything close to a full season since Davis played 75 games in 2017-18 and James played 82 games that same year. They just haven’t been able to remain completely healthy or participate close to those numbers. Davis is 30 years old with an injury history while James is 38 years old and playing in his 20th season in the league. (Yeah, you read it right, 20 years we’ve seen from Lebron)

The problem is that no one seems to have told James nor Davis that their time was winding down or that they couldn’t be counted on. Both have played in 16 of the 17 games that the Lakers have played and are absolutely destroying people at the start of this season.

LeBron James just doesn’t seem to stop. He’s playing the least amount of minutes per game of any time in his career with the exception of the 2020 season when he played in just 46 games. He’s only shot better from the floor, percentage wise, twice in his career and they were both ten years ago when he was on the Heat and just entering his prime. He’s taking less shots than at anytime in his career, but shooting his best three-point percentage since the 2012-13 season with the Heat. He just can’t stop. LeBron is averaging 25.5 points, 8 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game in host under 34 minutes per game.

For his part, Davis didn’t get the memo that he was washed up as well. After battling injuries over the past few years, Davis is back with a vengeance this season. In 35 minutes per game, Davis is averaging 22.1 points, 12.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.9 blocks. His defense and rebounding have been on another level to start the year and it’s a big reason why the Lakers, despite being in 7th place, are sitting on a 10-7 record. While the stats are there, the health is what’s important and for both Davis and James, this season is starting off very well.

After the two superstars, you still have to account for D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves who are combining for 30.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 11.4 assists per game. With Rui Hachimura and Gabe Vincent out for the game, players like Christian Wood, Taurean Prince and Cam Reddish will have to really step up for the Lakers if they’re to get past the Sixers.

What to expect tonight

The Lakers need to continue their winning ways of late if they’re going to climb the Western Conference ladder but the Sixers haven’t been an easy opponent, despite having lost two straight games at home. The Lakers will be trying to continue that while the Sixers need a win to start themselves another streak.

James and Davis are coming off a combined 54 points in the victory over the Cavaliers where Lebron always likes to step up for his hometown fans while Maxey and Embiid combined for 63 points, 19 rebounds, and 12 assists in their recent win over the Thunder. This game is going to be big for those four and you’re going to get plenty of highlights for both sides.

The key for the teams is their depth and that’s where the Sixers are going to win. With Melton, Batum, and Harris rounding out the starting lineup, the Sixers have the overall advantage against the Lakers, but being without two key pieces could be costly. However, the Sixers have enough of an edge to win their second in a row.