The NBA season continues this week ahead of the upcoming All-Star game, as the Los Angeles Lakers host the Philadelphia 76ers at the Crypto.com Arena.
The Lakers have had a strong season so far and come into this game following a dominant win against the Brooklyn Nets, moving them to a 30-19 record, while the 76ers’ campaign has been strong too, and they come into this game with a 29-21 record, having won their last five in a row.
We’ll take a look at the match-up and provide you with our best free NBA betting picks, as we try to earn you some extra cash while you enjoy the action on the court.
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The Lakers started their season slowly with a disappointing defeat against the Golden State Warriors in the opening game, before Luka Doncic stepped up in his first full season with the franchise to guide them to four wins in the next five games, including two victories against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Los Angeles then won their first three games in November against the Miami Heat, Portland Trail Blazers, and San Antonio Spurs, before a surprising 122-102 defeat to the Atlanta Hawks. But the team responded well, and the Lakers went on to win eight of their next nine games to end November with a 15-4 overall record.
That good form came to an abrupt end in December though, with the Lakers winning just five of their 12 games in the month, with consecutive wins coming just once as they beat the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz, ending 2025 with a 20-11 record.
The new year saw a mixed bag of results, as they won their first three against the Memphis Grizzlies (twice) and New Orleans Pelicans, before three consecutive defeats against San Antonio, Milwaukee Bucks, and the Sacramento Kings. The team then went 6-4 over the rest of the month, and come into this game having won four of their last six, including a win over the Nets last time out, with 22-time All-Star LeBron James leading the way.
The 76ers started their season brilliantly with four wins in their opening four games, defeating the Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets, Orlando Magic, and Washington Wizards, before falling to their first defeat against Boston to end the month 4-1.
But after a strong start, Philadelphia struggled in November and went on a disappointing 6-8 run, which saw them fail to win consecutive games throughout the month. They lost back-to-back games twice, though, against the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers, and then the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic.
December was stronger for the 76ers as the team opened the month with three consecutive wins, before the Lakers defeated them 112-108. But the team bounced back with three wins in their next four, defeating the Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks, and Dallas Mavericks, before three consecutive losses to Brooklyn, Chicago and Oklahoma City Thunder, to end 2025 with a 17-14 record.
So far in 2026 they’ve been better, and they started the year with five wins in their first seven games. A disappointing run followed, as Philadelphia fell to five defeats in seven games, but they have now won their last five, including one against the Los Angeles Clippers, and most recently against Golden State.
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On paper this is a really close game, and it should be a fun one in the race for the playoffs before the teams break off for the All-Star Weekend.
So far this season, no team has been better from the field than the Lakers, with LA ranked number one across the NBA with a 49.78% field goal rate. They’re also ranked 13th in the league for points scored, averaging 116.31 points per game, and are ranked 14th for points allowed, allowing just 115.28 per game.
Compare that to the 76ers, who rank 24th in the NBA with a 45.98% field goal rate, rank 11th for points scored with an average of 116.84 per game, and rank 18th for points allowed, with an average of 116.18, and you can see why the odds don’t have much between the sides.
Philadelphia have the advantage on the head-to-head too over the last ten games, with a 7-3 record, but the Lakers have looked better this season, and they claimed a strong win the last time the two sides faced off back in December.
Joel Embiid will be looking to prove why it was a mistake for him to not be involved in the All-Star rosters this season, but LeBron will be keen to prove why it was right that he was selected. With the extra individual quality LA have, plus home advantage and the fact they won the other meeting between the teams this season, take the Lakers to claim the victory on the moneyline in a tight game.
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About the Author
Daniel is a football writer who has a great thirst for the Premier League and other major European leagues. A lover of the beautiful game and a firm believer that the eye test is better than statistics. Also an avid MMA fan.
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