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Update: Embiid and Harden are both in for Philly.
Update: Embiid and Harden are both game-time decisions and based on the lines, it looks like both will play. The 76ers are 5.5-point favorites and the total remains at 231.5. Dallas at +5.5 seems like a good play but the Mavericks have been quite inconsistent. We’ll maintain our ATS pick for now, with the possibility one of Philly’s stars doesn’t play. The under on the total is promising for now, although these teams went nuts offensively in their previous meeting.
The Dallas Mavericks (37-39) will hit the road for a showdown against the Philadelphia 76ers (49-26). The Mavericks are currently on the outside looking in at the playoff picture in the Western Conference right now. As the No. 11 seed, they would miss the play-in tournament, but they only sit a .5 game back of the No. 10 seed. The 76ers, on the other hand, have already secured a playoff spot and will try to hold on to the three seed in the conference. The game will tip at 7:30 p.m. ET live from Wells Fargo Arena in Philadelphia, Pa.
The Mavericks’ injury report is pretty clean. The 76ers have listed both James Harden and Joel Embiid as questionable.
The 76ers are a 5-point favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook. The total is 231.5.
Mavericks vs. 76ers, 7:30 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Mavericks +5
Mavericks star Luka Doncic made headlines the other day after saying he wasn’t having fun playing. He made the comments amid a losing streak that was snapped on Monday with a 127-104 win over the Indiana Pacers. The win snapped a four-game losing streak, and Doncic added in 25. His spirits seemed to be high, and they will need to be if the team is going to make a late playoff push. The Mavericks won the first matchup earlier in the month 133-126. They have been abysmal against the spread this season with a 29-45-6 record. However, with Harden and Embiid’s statuses up in the air, the Mavericks make too much sense right here, especially with them needing a win to try and make the playoffs.
Over/Under: Under 231.5
We’re getting to the point of the season where things should tighten up defensively from teams. Both the Mavericks and Sixers have something to play for heading into Wednesday night. Dallas is fighting to get into the play-in tournament in the West. Philly still has some work to do to fend off the Cleveland Cavaliers and secure the 3-seed in the East. The spread is only 4.0 points so this figures to be competitive. Philly is coming off three straight losses and is at home, and have gone under the total in six of the past 11 games.