Philadelphia 76ers vs Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 21/11/2023, 06:37  by Joseph King | Modified on 21/11/2023 at 07:21 in NBA Predictions

Another round of In-Season Tournament action is upon us with the second-place Philadelphia 76ers playing host to the third-place Cleveland Cavaliers in the East Group A. The format of the inaugural NBA Cup sees only the six group winners advancing to the quarter-finals along with the second-place finishing team with the best record from both the East and West. Both teams must win here if they are to keep their tournament hopes alive. This is the 76ers final group stage game as they sit on a 2-1 record while the Cavs still have two left to play with their 1-1 record.

Philadelphia are coming off a 121-99 win over the Brooklyn Nets for their second victory in a row. They now sit second in the Eastern Conference standings with a record of 10 wins and only three defeats. It’s been a fine start to the 2023/24 campaign who look set to battle it out with the Celtics and Bucks for the top spot in the East this season. The trade of James Harden to the Clippers has seemingly invigorated the team, especially Tyrese Maxey who is averaging 26.8 points per game and 7.1 assists on the season.

Cleveland suffered a slow start to the year as they were dealing with a number of injuries to key players. They came out of the gates with a 2-4 record after their first six games but have since been able to bounce back strongly. The Cavs have won five of their last seven which includes their last three in a row, bringing them to 7-6 on the year and eighth in the East. The major news around the camp is that star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell will miss his third-straight game with a hamstring injury. Despite being without Mitchell’s 29.2 points per game, the Cavaliers are 2-1 in his absence which includes a 121-109 win over the defending champion Denver Nuggets in their most recent appearance.