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The Philadelphia 76ers got some bad news on Ben Simmons on Thursday afternoon. The Sixers All-Star PG is out indefinitely due to a subluxation of his left knee cap. So he is seeking treatment options, but isn’t expected to play in the immediate future. With Simmons sidelined for an unknown amount of time, this doesn’t impact the Sixers’ in the short term. But how might it affect them in the long term? Let’s take a look at the betting odds on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Ben Simmons injury impact on Sixers title odds
Championship Odds: +3300
Conference Winner: +1200
The Sixers are currently ninth in terms of odds to win it all in the NBA bubble. From betting splits we’ve seen from DKSB, there are a lot of bettors invested in Philly to make a title run with the talent they have. Now with Simmons status up in the air, that isn’t looking as good as previously thought.
The Sixers are still talented anchored by Joel Embiid at center. Many have argued — myself included — that Philly is better off without one of Embiid and Simmons. We’ve seen what Embiid can do when the team is his and he is expected to dominate usage with Simmons off the floor. The question as to whether the Sixers can win with just Embiid becomes interesting.
Philly can win with just Embiid and the talent it has on the roster. Can the Sixers get past the Bucks, Raptors, Celtics, Heat and even Pacers? Ehhhh, I’m not so sure I’m willing to bet on them to beat any of those teams. Even with Simmons, the Sixers were more of a sleeper bet to win it all or come out of the East. Now, it would be a long-shot bet.
The best advice I can give you is to monitor the lines and see if the Sixers’ title odds drop at all with the injury news. I’d imagine until Simmons is either ruled out for the season or has surgery, we won’t see much movement. If the line drops and Simmons is back in a week or two, you just got a great price on the Sixers to break through. Stay patient and don’t panic, Simmons’ injury is rough, but one that he could get treatment for and maybe return at some points.
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