Nobody expected the Philadelphia 76ers to kick off the season 2-10 after winning the Paul George sweepstakes over the summer, but here we are. Last year’s seventh seed is currently 14th in the Eastern Conference standings and only the Toronto Raptors are below them. Whether they are a legit playoff contender is a real question at this point and they’ll need to turn things around in a major way to get back on track. Let’s take a look at how you can bet on the 76ers’ future.
The odds for Philadelphia to make the playoffs are -500 at BetMGM while the odds for missed postseason are +375. Clearly the sportsbook is fairly confident that the 76ers can mount a comeback this early in the campaign. However, there’s clear cause for concern because of how strong the Atlantic Division is.
Atlantic Division Insights
The Eastern Conference is weak altogether this year, as only the four teams have winning records. Two of those teams are the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks. Both teams are in the Atlantic Division and are considered top-three contenders to win the 2024-2025 NBA title. The 76ers are off to a poor 0-2 start in the division and will need to play each team in it, including the Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors, four times. The 76ers will need to be at their best to take down the teams at the top of the division and that doesn’t seem realistic given the current outlook on Joel Embiid’s health.
Back-to-Back Scheduling
The 76ers’ oft-injured starting center suggested that he might not play in the second leg of back-to-backs for the rest of his career. That’s a major red flag. Philadelphia has played in one back-to-back so far in 2025 and will play 14-more during the regular season. Ten of the 76ers’ remaining back-to-backs will be against teams that finished 2023-2024 with winning records. The Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, and Miami Heat are among the Eastern Conference teams featured in that group. That’s far from encouraging given that Philadelphia went 16-27 straight up without Embiid last season.
Will the 76ers Make the Playoffs?
It’s not a stretch to say that the 76ers will improve significantly when Tyrese Maxey returns from the hamstring injury that’s sidelined him to join George and Embiid, but too much of their success depends on the big man’s consistency. There’s a major dropoff when Embiid doesn’t play and Andre Drummond won’t do as a fill-in starting center for significant stretches. Even if the Eastern Conference is in disarray right now.
There’s no value in betting on Philadelphia making the playoffs. Betting on their downfall at +375 during their recent slide is the most favorable option at this point in the season.
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