Philadelphia 76ers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 3/16/2022

Time: 7 p.m. ET

Venue: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, OH

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76ers: 41-26

Cavs: 39-29

Just when it got to the point where I should start believing in the Philadelphia 76ers to actually do something good, they come out and lose two of their last three to very good teams. 

 

But after the fact that the Sixers lost to the Denver Nuggets by 4 on Monday night, I'm over here trying to figure out what exactly is going on with this team. And the more I try and figure it out, the more I come back to no answers at all.

 

In the battle between Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic, it was Embiid on the losing end despite a more dominant effort on the scoresheet. Embiid had 34 points on 11 of 20 shooting but only grabbed nine rebounds. Jokic, the reigning MVP, had 22 points and 13 rebounds to go along with eight assists.

 

The rest of the team? Not much good. James Harden had 24 points but took only 11 shots; he went 11 of 12 from the free-throw line, but you want more shots from him. At the end of the day, this game was designed for the two big-man MVP candidates.

 

"He's a great player, great competition, I love playing against the best," Embiid said of Jokic. "He's a monster. I love watching him. But he's also easy to study."

 

Apparently not easy enough to pull out a victory when needed. That’s not to say the supporting cast hasn’t been entirely horrible, but in order for Philly to reach that full potential, that’s what’s needed. The Sixers have shot a collective 37.5 percent from the floor in the last three games while shooting 37.7 from 3-point range. This group needs to be much better in that regard, and with Harden still rounding into form, that should ultimately help. 

And while the Sixers are struggling A little bit to find their groove in terms of offensive production, the Cleveland Cavaliers are over here trying to figure out A consistent way of winning that is Similar to their play from earlier in the season.

 

But Cleveland did pick up a very important victory the other night in overtime against the Los Angeles Clippers by the final score of 120-111. Evan Mobley finished with a career-high 30 points, while Darius Garland had 24 points and 13 assists.

 

Since Mobley took over at center in place of the injured Jarrett Allen, five games ago, he’s averaging 21.6 and 10.8 rebounds.

 

"I'm just going out there and being aggressive," he said. "I feel like my teammates have put me in good spots to score and defend, so I'm really just trying to get better."

 

Right now, that’s all it’s about for Mobley. Trying to get better without their All-Star center is a tall task. It really makes no sense that the Cavs are even to this point with 14 games to go, but the fact that they’re here and are able to stay afloat with Mobley and Garland is pretty remarkable.

 

Since Garland returned to the lineup due to injury, the All-Star guard has shot 45 percent from the floor, 37 percent from 3-point range and 91 percent from the free-throw line. That’s the kind of line that you can carry for the playoffs. Whether or not it results in something bigger than that going forward might be another year away.

Much like the Denver-Philly matchup, the game here is going to be a good one. The guard play between Garland and Harden will be great, and the frontcourt battle between Mobley and Embiid is a strong contrast in styles. At the end, I think the group that has the more battle-tested experience is going to make the difference here. While Garland and Mobley will be a duo for years to come, this is still Harden and Embiid’s time and I can’t imagine them losing another hard-fought game. This being on the road will be a huge rallying cry for the Sixers. 76ers by 9

The over is 13-4 this season when the 76ers are a road favorite.

The 76ers are 20-23 ATS as a favorite this season.

The under is 22-9 when the Cavs are at home this season.

PG: Tyrese Maxey

SG: James Harden

SF: Matisse Thybulle

PF: Tobias Harris

C: Joel Embiid

PG: Darius Garland

SG: Isaac Okoro

SF: Lauri Markkanen

PF: Kevin Love

C: Evan Mobley

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