LeBron James and the early season top seed in the Eastern Conference, the Philadelphia 76ers, will travel to Cleveland this Friday to take on the Cavaliers. The 76ers have won eight of their first nine games and are currently on a five game winning streak. Their only loss this season came nearly two weeks ago against the Pistons. The 76ers got their revenge in their last game, defeating the Pistons 112-106. Jaylen Brown led the team with 30 points. He has fit in well with his new team, averaging 21.8 points per game. The Cavaliers fell back to .500 after back-to-back losses against the Oklahoma City Thunder. They lost each game by single digits. Cleveland fell behind early by 17 points in Wednesday night's game. They will be looking to get off to a quicker start on their home floor Friday.
The 76ers have been a difficult team to beat on the road. They are undefeated in 4 road games against Detroit, Charlotte, Indiana, and New York. Despite all of the team's new pieces, the 76ers have shown they can tighten up and win close games away from home. All four wins came by six points or less. In a roster full of notable players, it has been Tyrese Maxey leading the charge. Maxey is averaging 28 points per game, and has been a focal point in late game situations. Despite the positive road start, Friday night could be where the streak ends for the 76ers. Cleveland has proven to be a very difficult team to beat on their home court in recent seasons. The Cavaliers are 30-15 in their last 45 home regular season games, and have gotten off to a 3-1 start this year at home. Center Jarrett Allen will likely play after what appeared to be a concerning knee injury in his previous game. Allen will contribute to the Cavaliers significant rebounding advantage. Cleveland is averaging 47.5 rebounds per game, compared to the 76ers who are averaging 42.3. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are traditional bigs that should give Joel Embiid and LeBron James issues in the interior. It's not often we see the Cavaliers as home underdogs. I like for them to find a way to victory in another game where LeBron returns to Cleveland.
76ers vs Cavaliers prediction: Cavaliers ML(+115) is available at the time of publishing. Playable at that number.
