by Chuck Sommers
Friday, Mar 04, 2022
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Venue: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
Where to watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia, Bally Sports Ohio
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: 76ers -7.5
BetMGM: 76ers -7.5
Caesars: 76ers -7.5
Season record
Cavs: 36-26
76ers: 38-23
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Cavaliers - 76ers preview and analysis
The Cleveland Cavaliers better not do this to me. But the fact James Harden is now on the Philadelphia 76ers, there’s likely going to be an instance where they get me.
Cleveland has lost four of five and will try to get back on track when they face the 76ers in Wells Fargo Arena on Friday. But there is good news on the horizon: Darius Garland is back in the lineup and there could be some order restored for Cleveland soon. He returned after missing a few games with a bruised bone in his back.
The good news: Garland, the Cavs’ All-Star, scored 33 points on 13 of 22 and looked to not miss a beat. The bad news is the Hornets made 17 of 38 from 3-point range and shot 51 percent from the floor. Lauri Markkanen was only 3 of 10 shooting, and despite Jarrett Allen’s best efforts of going 7 of 9 from the floor, Evan Mobley was held to just 4 of 9.
"We're not playing the same way we did in the first half of the season," said Garland. "We've got to get back to that. We're playing soft. We're giving up 38 points in a quarter, that happened twice this week — that's unacceptable. We’re not being ourselves right now.”
Cleveland was the NBA’s darlings for the first half of the season and are still primed to make the playoffs for the first time in decades with a team that didn’t have LeBron James on it. But they’re struggling right now, big time, and now have to figure out how to handle Joel Embiid and his new buddy in Philly.
The 76ers have won four straight games and it’s looked like a seamless transition to integrate Harden into the lineup. Philly is coming off back-to-back wins over the New York Knicks, each by double digits. The most recent was 123-108 on Wednesday when Harden went for 26 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in his home debut.
Embiid, in typical MVP-like fashion, finished with 27 points and 12 rebounds. And for the first time in a while, he wasn’t the star of the show and he’d likely take that.
"I feel like you can put me anywhere in the room and I can fit in," Harden said. "Here is no different. Just see what you have and try your best to fit in. Be the best James Harden I can be in every aspect."
There was some concern upon Harden’s arrival that it would take a while to gel, but I’m really liking what he and Embiid are doing together. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a pick-and-roll that can dominate both inside and outside. And the more attention those two draw at the center of the floor, the more it opens for Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris.
Prediction
Not that I want to see the Cavs fall off the map here, but they’re in need of a wake-up call against a team that can beat them in a multitude of ways. Losing to bad teams isn’t good enough right now to put Cleveland in a bind. It needs to get bumped around by a true contender to show it has a ways to go in order to get back on track. 76ers by 14
Betting trends
The Cavaliers are 18-39 ATS after losing three of their last four.
The Cavaliers are 18-12 ATS as an underdog this season.
The under is 12-4 after the 76ers win a home game.
The 76ers are 9-2 ATS this season after playing four games or less in 10 days.
Projected starting lineup
Cavaliers:
PG: Darius Garland
SG: Issac Okoro
SF: Lauri Markkanen
PF: Evan Mobley
C: Jarrett Allen
76ers:
PG: Tyrese Maxey
SG: James Harden
SF: Matisse Thybulle
PF: Tobias Harris
C: Joel Embiid
Key injuries
Cavaliers: Rajon Rondo (out), Caris LeVert (out)
76ers: DeAndre Jordan (day-to-day)
Statistical leaders
Cavaliers:
Points: Darius Garland -- 20.5
Rebounds: Jarrett Allen -- 11.0
Assists: Darius Garland -- 7.9
76ers:
Points: Joel Embiid -- 29.8
Rebounds: Joel Embiid -- 11.1
Assists: James Harden -- 10.3
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
