NBA player props for Thursday: Trail Blazers vs. 76ers best bets

The Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers play each other for the first of two times this season. The 76ers come into this matchup with a three-game winning streak, whereas the Trail Blazers are coming off a loss. Let’s take a look at the best prop bets for this matchup.

76ers vs. Trail Blazers Start Time, Where to Watch, and Odds

• Date: January 19, 2023
• Gametime: 10:00 pm ET
• Where to watch: NBA League Pass

76ers vs. Trail Blazers Prediction

Both teams are coming into this game mostly healthy, as the Trail Blazers’ Justise Winslow could be the only player to miss with injury. This leads to the 76ers being 2-point favorites. 

The 76ers have won four of their last five games, and the loss was a 19-point loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The two wins that followed that loss were one-point wins, which explains the tight spread.

For the Trail Blazers, if they want to win this matchup, they’ll need to see a very good game from each of their three stars Damian Lillard, Anfernee Simons, and Jerami Grant. They picked up two solid wins against the Mavericks before their loss to the Nuggets, but this matchup might not be in their favor.

The Trail Blazers will struggle against the 76ers offensive approach, as James Harden and Joel Embiid both have the potential for a big game here. 

I like the 76ers to take this game and cover the 2-point spread field with a vast Embiid game. 

76ers vs. Trail Blazers Prop Picks

Joel Embiid over 32.5 points (-120) Bet $100 to collect $183. Get the best odds, available at DraftKings

Embiid’s last two matchups that he played against the Trail Blazers came in February of 2021, where he played them twice in a week. In those two games, Embiid scored 37 and 35 points. This matchup is a solid one for him to dominate with his combination of skill and physicality. The same tune will be sung this time around as Embiid has been on a tear recently. In his January games played, Embiid is averaging 35.7 points per game with no sign of slowing down. I like Embiid to win this game for the 76ers. 

Joel Embiid over 10.5 rebounds (+112) Bet $100 to collect $212. Get the best odds, available at DraftKings

As mentioned, I like Embiid to physically dominate this game, which would include both ends of the floor. He’s going to be able to continue pulling down a solid amount of rebounds. He’s covered this prop in three of his seven games played this month. One of his misses, of course, was a 10-rebound game. Also, to Embiid’s benefit, he isn’t guarding a stretch big that pulls him out of the lane. So, he’ll be able to get in a position to pull down his rebounds easily. I like Embiid to cover both props in his big game. 

Anfernee Simons over 2.5 threes (-162) Bet $100 to collect $161. Get the best odds, available at DraftKings

Again, I’m always going to ride with this prop. Simons has shot under eight threes just once in January, and he still knocked down a three in that game. In all of the others, he’s shot at least 8 threes. Being a good shooter, it’s warranted. I will always bet on good shooters who are willing to shoot the ball a ton. As I mentioned above, the Trail Blazers will struggle to stop the 76ers, so they’ll have to match their offense. Simons can easily help the Trail Blazers do that, as he’s capable of rattling off three straight three-pointers. 

76ers vs. Trail Blazers Player Prop Picks

• Joel Embiid over 32.5 points (-120) Bet $100 to collect $183. Get the best odds, available at DraftKings
• Joel Embiid over 10.5 rebounds (+112) Bet $100 to collect $212. Get the best odds, available at DraftKings
• Anfernee Simons over 2.5 threes (-162) Bet $100 to collect $161. Get the best odds, available at DraftKings