On Thursday night, the Philadelphia 76ers are on the road taking on the Chicago Bulls. The Sixers enter play at 24-12, which is the best record in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls are 16-18, with two games in hand on the eighth-place Toronto Raptors.

Let’s get into our Sixers-Bulls betting preview, including odds, boosts, and picks.

Sixers vs. Bulls Betting Pick (March 11, 2021)

The Sixers and Bulls will face off for the second time this season, but it represents the first time the teams will square off in the Windy City. This is also each team’s first game back since the NBA All-Star Break.

There’s a huge issue here for the Sixers in that Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid will miss this game. The two franchise cornerstones were ruled out of the NBA All-Star Game due to potential COVID-19 exposure as a result of being in close proximity to a barber who ultimately tested positive for the virus. Neither Embiid nor Simmons have tested positive, but both are being held out due to the league’s COVID policy. That should create plenty of scoring opportunities for Tobias Harris, who is the team’s second-leading scorer this season averaging 20.2 points per game.

The Bulls’ injury report reads in a more favorable way, with Lauri Markkanen and Otto Porter Jr. listed as probable for tonight’s matchup. After dropping the first matchup between the teams 112-105 on February 19, Chicago went 4-2 leading up to the All-Star Break. One would assume Zach LaVine will look to get his team’s second half of the season off on the right foot.


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Sixers vs. Bulls Odds

Here’s the line for the Sixers and Bulls at DraftKings Sportsbook:

    • Spread: Sixers +3.5, Bulls -3.5
    • Moneyline: Sixers +132, Bulls -155
    • Total: 228

And here are the current best available odds for the Sixers (may not display on Google AMP pages):

 

Bets We Like With a Sixers Win

FiveThirtyEight gives the Sixers a 47% chance of winning with a +1 point line. Philadelphia’s implied win probability based on the moneyline is lower at just 42%.

Tobias Harris to Record a Double Double and Sixers to Win (+300, FOX Bet)

This is going to be a much tougher game for Philadelphia than the teams’ record and the Eastern Conference standings would imply. With Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons out of the lineup, the Sixers will need to make up their 30.2 and 16.1 points, respectively. Tobias Harris is going to need to ramp up his scoring big time for Philadelphia to have a chance in this one. Not only will Harris be called upon to score, he’ll also have plenty of chances to pull down some boards. The Sixers’ third-leading rebounder at 7.6 per game will need to help his team make up the 19.5 rebounds per game otherwise contributed by Embiid and Simmons.

If you’re planning on placing a wager on the Sixers to win, this same game parlay could be worth a look.

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Bets We Like With a Bulls Win

Zach LaVine Over 0.5 Dunks and Bulls to Win (+175, FOX Bet)

Zach LaVine is one of the highest fliers in the league, often dropping multiple highlight jams in each and every game. We believe Chicago will win this game due in large part to the absence of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, with LaVine leading the charge on the break. He’ll have plenty of chances at the rim without Simmons to stymie him at the perimeter and Embiid to meet him at the rim.

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Bulls to Win and Under 228 Points (+210, DraftKings)

Unfortunately for those looking for a barnburner of a game, it’s unlikely we’ll see gaudy numbers being posted by both squads. This has the feeling of a blowout for the Bulls or a tight win for the Sixers. It’s difficult to come up with a reason to believe Philadelphia will be able to get close to the 110 point threshold needed to stay competitive in this game, while the absence of their best two defensive players should lead to a massive offensive outburst from Zach LaVine and the Bulls.

It’s also worth noting that the Bulls were on a bit of a roll after losing to Philadelphia last month, going 4-2 in their six games prior to the All-Star Break. Those two losses happened to come to the 21-15 Nuggets and the 24-11 Suns, who are the sixth and second seeds, respectively, in the Western Conference.

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Bets We Like Independent of Outcome

Zach LaVine and Tobias Harris Both to Record 25+ Points (+200, BetMGM)

The Tobias Harris half of this bet is likely to hit due in large part to the scoring opportunities he’ll get with Simmons and Embiid out of the lineup. Sure, he won’t have the benefit of Simmons collapsing the defense as he drives into the paint, but this could be a game that sees Harris draw contact and get to the line to slow down the pace Chicago would prefer to play at.

As for Zach LaVine, he’s averaging 28.7 points per game, good enough for 6th-best in the NBA. He scored at least 25 points in 11 of his last 14 games prior to the All-Star Break. He also posted 30 points on the road against the Sixers earlier this season, which should bode well looking at this game, as Philadelphia will be without their best wing defender in point guard Ben Simmons.

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Sixers vs. Bulls Prediction

Pick: The absence of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons should lead to a massive performance from Zach LaVine. Take Zach LaVine Over 0.5 dunks and the Bulls to Win. Also consider the LaVine and Harris prop.

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