Assessing the Latest Sixers Odds in a Chaotic Eastern Conference

A lot of things are going right for the Philadelphia 76ers at the moment. Joel Embiid is back, the team is on a six-game winning streak, and everyone else in the Eastern Conference outside of the Boston Celtics seems to be falling apart.

Entering Wednesday, the Sixers own the third-lowest odds to win the East. That’s not really a huge surprise given what the Sixers are capable of at full strength with Embiid and Tyrese Maxey at the helm.

The struggles without Embiid put the Sixers in a tough spot in the standings and it’s why they’re are on top of the list of teams to participate in the play-in round.

DraftKings lists the Sixers at -265 to be in the play-in round, while FanDuel has them at -230 to be in the play-in round.

The Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls are already bound to the play-in. Here’s the range of odds for the rest of the eligible teams at NJ sportsbooks and Pennsylvania sportsbooks:

• Miami: -235 to -210
• Orlando: +180 to +110
• Indiana: +250

Oddly enough, the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are behind the Magic on tiebreakers in fifth and just 1.5 games ahead of the Sixers, do not have any play-in odds listed.

Cleveland plays the Pacers in a very significant game on Friday night, but finishes with Memphis and Charlotte. The assumption is the Cavs beat the Grizzlies and Hornets and barely end up ahead of the play-in spots.

Indiana only has two games left: on Friday in Cleveland and on Sunday at home against the Hawks. Miami hosts the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night and then completes the regular season with a very easy two-game set against the Toronto Raptors.

Orlando is in the most perilous spot because the Magic play a home-and-home against Milwaukee on Wednesday and Sunday, with a trip to the Wells Fargo Center in between.

Those two games look far less dangerous now that Giannis Antetokounmpo will likely be held out because of the injury he suffered on Tuesday night. That makes the Bucks susceptible to two losses and helps Orlando stay away from the play-in round.

ESPN’s postseason tracker provided odds for each team to earn specific spots in the standings. The Sixers have a 37 percent chance of finishing seventh, a 26 percent chance of landing in eighth, and a 24 percent chance of being in sixth.

The Sixers need to win their final two games and then hope Indiana or Orlando loses out to get out of the play-in round. Cleveland could lose its final three, but let’s be honest, that schedule is weak and they should go 2-1 at minimum.

So basically get ready to root for Cleveland, Atlanta, and yeah even Doc Rivers and the Bucks, to avoid the stressors of a play-in game against Jimmy Butler and the Heat.

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