The Philadelphia 76ers' season-long road woes might take them out of the running for home-court advantage in the playoffs – and oddsmakers don't like their chances of turning things around Sunday afternoon against the Los Angeles Clippers. The 76ers have dropped seven straight road games, and face a tall task against a Clippers team that owns the top home mark in the West.
- Date/Time: March 1, 3:30 p.m. ET
- Arena: Staples Center
- TV Coverage: ABC
- Sportsbook Odds: Clippers -12 | O/U 219
- 76ers vs Clippers Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The Clippers opened as a whopping 12-point favorite, and are now at -12.5 or -13 in the majority of spots. The total of 219 has risen slightly at most sportsbooks.
Philadelphia 76ers News & Notes
The 76ers' road showing this season is almost laughable (though probably not to Sixers fans or bettors.) While Philadelphia owns the best home mark in the NBA at 28-2, they've won just nine of 30 games away from Wells Fargo Center this season; to put that into perspective, only five teams in the entire league have earned fewer road wins to date.
And things aren't likely to improve Sunday, with Philadelphia having to make do without its top two players. Point guard Ben Simmons is dealing with a nerve impingement in his back that will keep him out of action for at least the next two weeks, while center Joel Embiid has a strained shoulder and will be re-evaluated at the end of next week.
Los Angeles Clippers News & Notes
It's never a good time for Philadelphia to be without its twin superstars – but a road date with the red-hot Clippers might top the list of worst-case scenarios. The Clippers are finally fully healthy, and look very much like a team ready to make a run to the NBA championship; they're coming off a 29-point win over a Denver team that came into the game as the West's No. 2 team.
And while the Clippers come in riding a three-game winning streak, they'd still love to build a little more momentum heading into a critical three-game stretch. Los Angeles will tangle with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets and rival L.A. Lakers after Sunday's tilt with Philadelphia; all three teams rank in the top-6 in the Western Conference standings at the moment.
Betting Pick: Clippers ATS
The 76ers have been a terrible road team even with Simmons and Embiid in the fold; with both players out for this one, we don't see how Philly can hope to keep the game close.
- The Sixers are 8-0 ATS in their last 8 games vs LAC.
- The Clippers are 5-1 SU in their last 6 home games.
- The UNDER is 5-1 in the last 6 games in this matchup.
