NBA Predictions: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Philadelphia 76ers

Los Angeles Lakers at Philadelphia 76ers
Monday, 2/6/12, 7:00 PM EST, TV: CSP
Opening Point Spread: Philadelphia -3.5
Current Betting Line: Philadelphia -4
Opening Total: 177
Current Total: 178
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

Los Angeles Lakers are just 3-8 SU away from the Staples Center this year

Los Angeles has split its first two games of a six-game road trip and comes off a 96-87 loss to the Utah Jazz as 2.5-point underdogs on Saturday. The Lakers are just 3-8 on the road and star guard Kobe Bryant knows his team can do better. “We just have to be patient, just be calm,” he stated after the latest loss. “We’ve been in this situation before.” The franchise has won four consecutive games in this series, including a 93-81 victory as 5.5-point road favorites on Dec. 17, 2010. Los Angeles is 11-13 ATS on the season and the “under” is 15-9 in those contests.

The Lakers have tallied a 3-5 mark versus the Eastern Conference this season, but has dropped all three road games in that situation. Los Angeles is still being led by Bryant offensively, coming off a team-high 26 points, while leading the league in scoring 29.4 points per game. Center Andrew Bynum has really upped his performance so far this season, coming off a 21-point and 12-rebound performance against the Jazz. He is averaging a double-double in scoring 17.0 points and 12.0 rebounds per game.

Philadelphia bounced back after a humiliating loss against the Miami Heat by capturing a 98-87 victory over the Atlanta Hawks as three-point road underdogs last time out. The 76ers have gone “over” the total in two of the last three contests, which directly followed a string of falling short of the number in five consecutive games. The team was extremely balanced versus the Hawks, as six players reached double-digit points. “That’s what you’ve got to have,” stated Sixers center Spencer Hawes. Philadelphia is 6-16 ATS as a favorite of 3.5 to 6 points the last two-plus campaigns.

The 76ers are 4-3 versus Western Conference opponents this year, including an even 1-1 mark when playing inside the Wells Fargo Center. Philadelphia has lost four straight in this series when playing at home. In the two meetings with the Lakers during the 2010-11 season, the Sixers averaged 89.5 points on 42.1 percent shooting. The franchise leads the NBA in point differential in outscoring opponents by 10.3 points per game.