Bulls vs 76ers Picks & Odds: Sixers Still Favored With Embiid Sidelined

The Philadelphia 76ers (23-14 SU, 22-15 ATS) welcome the Chicago Bulls (17-21, 18-18-2) to Wells Fargo Center on Friday as the hosts look to earn their fourth straight win. Find out if Philadelphia can keep its win streak alive in our Bulls vs 76ers prediction.

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Bulls vs 76ers Sportsbook Odds

The Bulls opened as the 5.5-point favorite at home with the total set at 225.5 points. The OVER is 5-2 in Chicago’s last seven games while Philadelphia has won 10 straight meetings vs the visitors, giving them the edge in our Bulls vs 76ers prediction.

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Bulls Snap Nets’ 12-Game Win Streak

The Bulls were victorious last time out as they beat the Brooklyn Nets 121-112, snapping Brooklyn’s 12-game winning streak. Kevin Durant scored 44 points to lead the Nets but the Bulls prevailed with a strong team effort as DeMar DeRozan and Patrick Williams scored 22 apiece while four others had double digits in the win.

Chicago has had an up-and-down season, failing to string together many wins, but the one constant has been the performance of DeRozan, who leads the team with 26.6 points per game. DeRozan has scored 20-plus in 10 straight outings and 14 of his last 15 – including a 44-point performance against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday.

Sixers Win Third Straight Despite Missing Embiid

The Sixers earned their third consecutive victory on Wednesday, defeating the Indiana Pacers 129-126 in overtime. With Joel Embiid sidelined with a foot injury, James Harden stepped up to lead the team with 26 points while Tobias Harris, Montrezl Harrell and De’Anthony Melton each scored 19, with the latter draining the go-ahead three-pointer in overtime.

Embiid, who injured his foot during Monday’s win against New Orleans, remains out for Friday’s contest. For the 76ers, that means the bulk of the offensive load will fall on the shoulders of Harden, Harris and Tyrese Maxey. Maxey, who returned to the lineup on December 30 after missing about six weeks with a foot injury, has yet to get up to full speed, averaging just 12.7 points through his last three appearances.

Bulls Player Prop: DeRozan OVER 28 Points (+117)

DeRozan has been consistent all season long, averaging right around 26 points per game each month. The Bulls star could be in tough against the 76ers, who own the second-best defense in the NBA, though their defense in the paint will certainly take a hit with Embiid out. Perhaps DeRozan can capitalize and hit the OVER on Friday.

76ers Player Prop: Harden OVER 27 Points (+129)

Embiid usually does most of the heavy lifting offensively for Philly, but we’ll see the scoring a lot more spread out with the big man sidelined. That should open up plenty of opportunity for Harden, who’s scored 20-plus in six straight games and at least 26 in four of those contests.

Bulls: Keys To Victory

With Embiid sidelined, the Bulls arguably have the best offensive duo in this matchup with DeRozan and Zach LaVine. The pair are combining for nearly 50 points per game – if they both have good nights, Chicago could certainly snap Philadelphia’s win streak.

76ers: Keys To Victory

The Sixers will need to band together to make up for the absence of Embiid, and they’re certainly capable as shown in their last win over the Pacers when they scored 129 points. Seven players scored at least 11 points in that game and they’ll likely need a similar team effort to top the Bulls and extend their run.

NBA Computer Pick: 76ers -5

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