As the NBA playoffs loom, Friday sees a potential Eastern Conference later-round series preview as the Philadelphia 76ers host the Cleveland Cavaliers at 7 p.m. ET. Philadelphia opened as a three-point favorite and now is laying 3.5. The over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, opened at 222 and is now at 224.

Before picking either side, you need to read what SportsLine NBA expert Galin Dragiev has to say. Dragiev has put together a blistering 11-5 run (69 percent) on his recent against-the-spread hoops picks. We can tell you he's expecting a low-scoring game and is leaning toward the under. 

Dragiev, who has a strong analytical background, has examined every matchup, every player and every trend for Cavaliers-Sixers and locked in his pick. For Thursday's crucial Timberwolves-Nuggets contest, in which Denver was laying 5.5, Dragiev pointed out both teams were evenly matched and Minnesota would keep it close. The result? In a tight game, the Nuggets did prevail, 100-96, allowing Dragiev to cash.

Now Dragiev has evaluated every angle of this huge matchup and found an edge in this line. 

He knows that no team has been hotter than the Sixers, who have reeled off 12 straight victories. But the Cavs have been nearly as dominant, winning 10 of their last 11.

The 76ers can cover the spread if they treat this game like any other. Not only has Philly won 12 straight but it has held leads of at least 20 points in eight of them. Coach Brett Brown has done a terrific job down the stretch keeping his guys focused and fresh. The Sixers need to rely on Ben Simmons to dominate again. 

Over his past five games, the rookie forward is averaging 15.4 points, 9.2 rebounds and 9.8 assists in 30 minutes of floor time. His crisp passing and ability to locate the open man on the run are key to the Sixers winning.

Now that they're healthy, the Cavaliers can cover -- and pull off the win -- by beating the 76ers at their own game of run-outs leading to easy baskets. While both teams excel in the fastbreak, Philly is the more turnover-prone team. And with no Joel Embiid on the floor, the Cavs should find enough elbow room in the lane for layups. Kevin Love could be Cleveland's X-factor on Friday, as he's knocked down 10 of his last 16 shots from three-point range.

The under is 16-5 in the last 21 head-to-head matchups, and Cleveland is 2-10 against the spread in its previous 12 games in Philadelphia.

Do the 76ers cook up a baker's dozen of wins, taking hold of the No. 3 seed outright; or do the mighty Cavaliers rely on their experience to grind out a crucial win in Philly? You can get Dragiev's pick only over at SportsLine. 

So what side of Cavaliers-76ers do you need to be all over? Visit SportsLine now to see the strong point-spread pick by Dragiev, who's on a monster 11-5 run on his recent NBA picks, to find out.