Charlie Cummings gives his prediction and pick for Saturday’s NBA matchup between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Utah Jazz.
The end of the NBA regular season is rapidly approaching. The Philadelphia 76ers are locked into a tight playoff battle, while the Utah Jazz are careening to the bottom of the standings. Both teams have vastly different goals, but there’s still a game to be played. Can the Sixers move a step toward their postseason goals, or will the Jazz play the spoiler?
Philadelphia is a 5.5-point favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, while Utah sits as a +185 ML underdog. The total is set at 229.5 points. Let’s get into a prediction and pick for this Saturday matchup between the Sixers and Jazz.
76ers vs. Jazz preview
Both teams come into this game on a bit of a skid. The Jazz, who are blatantly tanking (much to the chagrin of Adam Silver), have won three of their last 14 games since the All-Star break. It seems like every week, someone else on their team goes down with a mystery illness or injury, and that’s no different tonight. Utah is missing nearly a whole roster’s worth of players: Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, Jaren Jackson Jr., Isaiah Collier, Jusuf Nurkic, Walker Kessler, Brice Sensabaugh and John Konchar have all been ruled out tonight. That leaves them awfully bare.
But they still have contributors in the lineup. Ace Bailey, Kyle Filipowski and Cody Williams have put up strong games in the absence of their big names. Recent signees are playing well, especially Andersson Garcia; the former G-League star played all 48 minutes in their win over the Bucks on Thursday. It’s not the best team you’ve ever seen, but these past few weeks have shown what talent is hiding at the end of the roster.
Philadelphia’s depth is being tested as well, as it navigates a tough stretch. It’s gone 8-8 since the All-Star break, which is a letdown. That has put the 76ers back into the play-in range, which they are surely hoping to avoid. But that has become more difficult to their absences; Philly will be without Joel Embiid (quad), Tyrese Maxey (finger), Paul George (suspension) and Kelly Oubre Jr. (elbow). Missing 80% of your starting lineup is tough for any team to navigate.
But they have guys ready to step up. Rookie VJ Edgecombe has put up some huge scoring lines, as has Quentin Grimes. Justin Edwards has filled in wing minutes, while Adem Bona and veteran Andre Drummond try their best to fill Embiid’s shoes. It will be a big ask for the team and coaching staff to make up for these absences.
Who wins the battle of the deep benches tonight?
76ers vs. Jazz pick, best bet
It’s difficult to ignore the motivations here. The Sixers are desperately trying to win and get their heads above water in the playoff race, while the Jazz are openly seeking to lose and collect lottery balls. This one may be closer than anticipated, but ultimately, Utah will do what needs to be done to make sure this one comes up as an L. Count on the Sixers taking care of business tonight.