Philadelphia 76ers vs Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction, Starting Lineups and Betting Tips

The Philadelphia 76ers vs Cleveland Cavaliers matchup is one of the 12 NBA games scheduled for Friday. This will be the fourth and final matchup between the two teams this season, with Philly leading the season series 2-1. The 76ers won their most recent game 104-97 on Feb. 23.

On that note, let’s take a look at the Philadelphia 76ers vs Cleveland Cavaliers preview, including the prediction, starting lineups and betting tips.

The 76ers hold a 118-108 all-time advantage against the Cavaliers. Philly won the most recent game between the two teams, behind Tyrese Maxey’s 24 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals. Jarrett Allen had 24 points, nine rebounds and one block for Cleveland.

Philadelphia 76ers vs Cleveland Cavaliers preview, prediction, starting lineups, odds and betting tips

The Philadelphia 76ers vs Cleveland Cavaliers game is scheduled for Friday, March 29, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

The game begins at 7:30 p.m. EDT and will be televised on WUAB CW 43 and NBC Sports Philadelphia. Fans can stream the game live on fuboTV and NBA League Pass.

Moneyline: 76ers (+260) vs. Cavaliers (-330)

Spread: 76ers (+8.5) vs. Cavaliers (-8.5)

Total (O/U): 76ers -110 (o212.5) vs. Cavaliers -110 (u212.5)

Editor's note: The odds could change close to the game. The odds listed were as per available information at the time of writing.

Philadelphia 76ers vs Cleveland Cavaliers preview

The 76ers (39-34) are eighth in the East and are fighting to get out of the play-in spots.

They trail the sixth-placed Indiana Pacers (41-33) by 1.5 games, and a win on Friday will help their cause. Philly has lost two in a row, including a heartbreaking 108-107 defeat to the LA Clippers at home on Wednesday. Tyrese Maxey had 26 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.

The Cavaliers (44-29), meanwhile, are fourth in the East and trail the third-placed New York Knicks by just 0.5 games. Cleveland has been dismal in the past 10 games, winning only three. The Cavs most recently lost 118-111 to the lowly Charlotte Hornets. Jarrett Allen had 24 points and eight rebounds.

Philadelphia 76ers vs Cleveland Cavaliers starting lineups, subs and rotations

If there’s any team whose season got completely derailed because of a key injury, it has to be the 76ers.

After Joel Embiid went down with a knee injury, the 76ers went from contenders to a play-in team. Embiid continues to be out. Robert Covington (knee) and De’Anthony Melton (back) are out as well. Philly coach Nick Nurse should start:

PG: Tyrese Maxey SG: Kyle Lowry SF: Kelly Oubre Jr. PF: Tobias Harris C: Mo Bamba

The 76ers’ key players off the bench should be Cameron Payne, Buddy Hield and Nicolas Batum.

The Cavaliers have also had to deal with a lot of injuries throughout the season. Cleveland, though, found a way to keep winning and stay in the top-four. Donovan Mitchell (nose) is questionable, while Darius Garland (right ankle sprain) is probable. Dean Wade (knee) and Ty Jerome (ankle) are out.

Cleveland coach J. B. Bickerstaff should start:

PG: Darius Garland SG: Caris LeVert SF: Max Strus PF: Evan Mobley C: Jarrett Allen

Cleveland’s key substitutes should be Isaac Okoro, Georges Niang and Sam Merrill.

Editor’s note: These are predicted starting lineups, which could change depending on the availability of players uncertain to play.

Philadelphia 76ers vs Cleveland Cavaliers betting tips

Tyrese Maxey has an over/under of 25.5 points. He has been on a tear recently, scoring at least 24 points in his last four games. He should continue that form on Friday and score over 25.5 points.

Darius Garland has an over/under of 17.5 points. While that's not a high score by any margin, Garland has been more active in playmaking duties. That should be the case against Philly as well, and he should just fall short of scoring 17.5 points.

Philadelphia 76ers vs Cleveland Cavaliers prediction

The Cavaliers are favored at home because of their superior record and deeper roster than the 76ers.

While the Cavs should get the win, they might not cover the spread. If Donovan Mitchell plays, it could be a different story, though. This should be a fairly high-scoring game, with the team total being over 212.5 points.