Posted at 12:15 PM EST. Odds subject to change.

Pinnacle +7½ -107 BET365 +7½ -110 Sportsinteraction +7½ -110 888Sport +7½ -110

Orlando +7½ over Philadelphia

Best Odds: -107 at Pinnacle

7:10 PM EST. The Philadelphia 76ers are getting the royal treatment from oddsmakers tonight and we understand why. Reigning MVP Joel Embiid is back with the team and set to compete in his fifth game since returning from a left knee injury. Coach Nick Nurse has been careful with Embiid, granting the big-man just over 30 minutes per game in four starts, but we imagine he'll be unleashed at full strength tonight in an important battle. The 76ers have a good chance to avoid the play-in tournament. They already beat Orlando twice this season, so they'll win the 3-game series and own the tiebreaker no matter what, and the Magic are just one game ahead of Philly, currently sitting in 5th. One more loss by Orlando and the door is open for the 76ers, who will finish the season against the hapless Nets on Sunday. In short, two more wins = no play-in tournament for a Sixers' squad that slipped out of relevance for a while without Embiid. Now, after winning 6 straight games and with their star back, optimism is growing in the City of Brotherly Love.

Ahem, insert the Orlando Magic. It's easy to dismiss this team. No one thought they'd sit near the top of the Eastern Conference during the final stretch of the regular season, but here they are. And while it's true that most of their wins (especially in 2024) come against average to poor programs, it doesn't negate how stifling their defense has been. Over an 80-game sample size, only the Timberwolves and Celtics own better marks on that side of the court. Orlando's highly proficient at crowding the rim (1st in opponent rebounds per game), they're arguably the best unit in the NBA at forcing difficult shots (1st in opponent assists and 1st in opponent field goals attempted per game), and perhaps most importantly: making threes is terribly difficult against their pesky guards (3rd in opponent three-point attempts, 4th in opponent-three-pointers made per game). Orlando knows how to keep games close, evidenced by their NBA-best 50-30 ATS record (62.5%). And although young, the Magic officially have a legitimate #1 scorer in Paulo Banchero (22.5 ppg), who has the size and tenacity to serve as a dependable go-to in the game's pivotal moments. Flanked by B+ to A- talent, Banchero and the Magic are completely healthy heading into tonight's big battle.

Part of the reason why Orlando is rated this low today is because their recent form is rather poor. They lost outright to Charlotte and Houston over the last week, two teams eliminated from the postseason, and Milwaukee properly annihilated them at the Fiserv Forum on Wednesday. It appears the program from Disney World might have lost motivation recently, thinking they'd just coast into the 4th or 5th seed. That usually makes for a great wakeup call.

The Magic had too good and too consistent of a season to let it all be torn to shreds at this point, and they've been fantastic as a road team (23-17 ATS). On the other end, the 76ers are a much better team without Joel Embiid, but he hasn't been around for the last two months. Since returning, Philly has only faced losers (MEM, SAS, DET), and their win with Embiid against a quality outfit (Miami on April 4th) was a game they probably should have lost, especially since they never revealed that Embiid would play until later that evening; not exactly fair for the Heat. In any case, it's highly presumptuous to simply support the 76ers against a Magic team that's been stout on defense and finding ways to win for 6 straight months, especially at this ridiculous number. Orlando deserves better, and we're here to take advantage. This will be a BATTLE.

Farley

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