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Don't look now but the Philadelphia 76ers are on a roll, maybe not so much in terms of winning outright, but definitely against the spread where they have now covered in nine of their last eleven games.
Heading into Saturday's game versus the Memphis Grizzlies, Philadelphia had won half of their last ten games outright.
Any gambler who consistently bet the Sixers against the spread over the last eleven games has likely made out like a bandit. In six of those eleven games Philadelphia was listed as an underdog.
The reigning MVP, Joel Embiid, is back on the court for the 76ers after undergoing knee surgery. During his time away, the Sixers went from owning the second best record in the East to eighth. It wasn't just Embiid who they lost though.
Fellow All-Star Tyrese Maxey and guard De’Anthony Melton were also out for a time.
Maxey is thrilled to see Embiid return.
"We've been missing a guy on our team for a long time, and he's back. It makes it a lot easier not just on myself, but everybody in this organization," Maxey told NBC Sports Philadelphia. "And not just because he scores ... but the amount of attention he brings. He uplifts the spirits of everybody."
Embiid isn't quite at 100 percent just yet and might not even play against Memphis Saturday night.
"Still not where I'm supposed to be, especially mentally," said Embiid, who was listed as questionable against the Grizzlies. "I want to play, and any chance that I can be out there, I'm going to take it."
The books moved Saturday's game line from Philly -12 to -14.5 across the board. There is a near 10 point overlay but Embiid's return hasn't fully been factored into that number just yet. It's a significant variance nonetheless.
The sportsbooks do offer Embiid prop bets for this game, a likely sign he'll be playing. His scoring total was listed at over/under 28.5.
- Tony Caliente, Gambling911.com
