The Philadelphia 76ers can pad their lead in the Eastern Conference when they take on the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday at the Moda Center in Portland, Ore. The 76ers (18-7) own the best record in the Eastern Conference and lead second-place Milwaukee (16-9) by two games. Philadelphia has won two straight games and six of its last seven. The team is in the midst of a four-game road trip against Western Conference teams. Meanwhile the Blazers (13-10) occupy fifth place in the West and are six games behind conference-leading Utah. Portland is coming off a 106-97 win over Orlando on Tuesday.
CJ McCollum (foot) and Jusuf Nurkic (wrist) remain out for Portland, while Shake Milton (ankle) is doubtful for the Sixers. Tip-off is at 10 p.m. ET. William Hill Sportsbook lists Philadelphia as a 5.5-point favorite while the over-under, or total number of points William Hill thinks will be scored, is 229 in the latest 76ers vs. Blazers odds. Before locking in any Blazers vs. Sixers picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, and it returned over $5,000 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks last season. The model is also up more than $8,300 on top-rated NBA picks over the past two-plus seasons. Dating back to last season, it enters Week 8 of the 2020-21 NBA schedule on a stunning 79-46 roll on top-rated NBA picks against the spread. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on 76ers vs. Trail Blazers. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Now, here are several NBA odds and betting trends for Trail Blazers vs. 76ers:
- Sixers vs. Blazers spread: Philadelphia -5.5
- Sixers vs. Blazers over-under: 229 points
- Sixers vs. Blazers money line: Philadelphia -220, Portland +190
- PHI: Joel Embiid ranks fourth in the NBA in scoring (29.1 points per game)
- POR: Damian Lillard is third in the league in scoring (29.4)
Why the Sixers can cover
Philadelphia is one of the best defensive teams in the league. The 76ers allow just 107.2 points per 100 possessions, which ranks second in the NBA, behind only the Lakers. Philadelphia allows opponents to shoot just 44.5 percent from the field, which is the fourth best in the NBA.
In addition, Embiid has been on a roll. Over his last nine games, the 76ers big man has averaged 34.1 points and 10.4 rebounds a game while shooting 55.8 percent from the field. In those games he had failed to score 30 points just twice.
Why the Blazers can cover
Lillard is an elite scorer. Portland's dynamic guard ranks third in the league in scoring, at 29.4 points per game. Over his last 10 games, he is averaging 32.4 points a game while shooting 46.7 percent from the field.
In addition, the Blazers already have beaten the 76ers this season. On Feb. 4, an undermanned Portland team that played without Lillard and Derrick Jones Jr. because of injuries beat Philadelphia, 121-105, behind 24 points from Gary Trent Jr. Both Lillard and Jones are expected to play on Thursday.
How to make Blazers vs. Sixers picks
SportsLine's model is leaning under on the total, with the simulations projecting 226 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread has all the value. You can get that pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Blazers vs. Sixers? And which side of the spread has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the Blazers vs. Sixers spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks.
