Shorthanded Sixers Worth an Underdog Pick vs Cavs

• What: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Philadelphia 76ers
• Where: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
• When: Thursday, 1st December, 2022

Wednesday evening brings an intriguing Eastern Conference affair between two teams fighting for superiority as the Philadelphia 76ers hit the road to visit the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. Philly is rolling at the moment, winning three in a row, despite being without their three stars. The Cavs meanwhile just lost to the Toronto Raptors on Monday, their second defeat in three. This is the first meeting of the campaign between these two teams. Continue reading for the 76ers vs Cavaliers picks. 

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76ers vs Cavaliers Odds

	Spread	Odds	Total
Philadelphia 76ers	+4 (-110)	+155	Ov 211.5 (-110)
Cleveland Cavaliers	-4 (-110	-180	Un 211.5 (-110)

Philly Finding Themselves

When Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and James Harden were all ruled out due to injuries, it’s understandable why Sixers fans were freaking out. After all, this trio is the reason that Philadelphia is considered to be a contender in 2022-23. But, it’s been a pleasant surprise to see the rest of this rotation step up without them. Shake Milton is balling out right now, averaging over 20 points in his last six games where he started all of them. Milton is proving that he’s capable of leading by example and being a pure scorer at the NBA level, making it clear to Doc Rivers that he deserves a bigger role once Maxey and Harden return. Embiid actually played on Monday in a victory over the Hawks and made his presence felt, dropping a 30-piece to lead the charge. Milton had another standout performance too, scoring 21 points while dishing out seven assists. The 76ers shot an impressive 36% from deep and killed Atlanta in the paint. They also capitalized off some sloppy basketball from the Hawks, scoring 19 points off turnovers. 

This stretch where the Sixers have been depleted is honestly a great test to see where they’re truly at. Championship teams can win regardless because others are able to fill the void and get the job done. From Milton to De’Anthony Melton to Tobias Harris to Georges Niang, all these role players are keeping Philly afloat. Fans should be ecstatic to know the depth of their team is solid as can be. 

Cavs Need to Bounce Back

Cleveland is 13-8 which is good for third in the East but they’re coming off one of their worst offensive nights of the year. The Raptors, who also beat them on Opening Night, held the Cavs to a mere 88 points Monday, with Donovan Mitchell registering just eight points on his own. That’s unheard of for the superstar, who is playing at an MVP level. He’s averaging 28.9 points, five assists, and four rebounds while shooting 41% from deep to lead the way for JB Bickerstaff’s squad, one of the best teams in the Association early on. Honestly, no one really got going offensively in Toronto, with Darius Garland and Evan Mobley dropping 18 apiece as the only Cleveland scorers in double-figures.

The Cavs couldn’t shoot the ball to save their lives, draining 18% of their triples and only shooting 38% from the field. It was just one of those forgettable nights that Cleveland won’t want to think about anytime soon. On a more positive note, this squad is resilient and will surely welcome the fact they can return home Wednesday for a pair of games in front of their fans. They’ve gone 8-1 at Rocket Mortgage this season and clearly have a different level of confidence in Cleveland.

76ers vs Cavaliers Picks

Given the circumstances, it would likely make sense to go with the Cavs because they're firing on all cylinders for the most part as of late and Philly is shorthanded. But like I said, the Sixers are finding their identity and Embiid is back now. They'll get it done and extend the win streak to four.

Philadelphia 76ers To cover vs Cleveland Cavaliers

+4 (-110)

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