LeBron James has been the league’s best floor raiser since he joined the NBA in 2003. It seems he’s already had that impact on the 76ers without playing a single game.
The Sixers saw their regular-season win total odds jump significantly in the wake of James signing with the franchise.
After signing Jaylen Brown, FanDuel listed Philly’s win total at 46.5. Since landing James in free agency, that number is up to 50.5.
That’s particularly significant because the only other team in the Eastern Conference with a win total of at least 50 wins is the Knicks at 51.5.
James’ teams have won 50-plus games in 14 of his 23 seasons, while the 76ers have four 50-win seasons over that same span, most recently in 2022-23 when Joel Embiid won league MVP.
With the biggest moves of the offseason seemingly in the rearview mirror, the Sixers have higher expectations than the Celtics, with whom they made one of the biggest trades in recent memory, and the Pistons, who led the East with 60 wins.
The floor may be high for the 76ers, but the ceiling is a bit lower than the rest of the field.
Their odds to win 55 or more games are +280, which are longer than the Celtics (+190) and only slightly better than the Pistons (+290).
Philly’s odds to finish with the No. 1 seed in the conference are +600, which are lower than Boston’s (+400) and just a shade above Detroit’s (+650).
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That’s a sign that sportsbooks are not entirely sold on the Sixers blowing the league out of the water.
The combination of James entering at age 42 this season, Embiid’s unreliability — 96 total games in the past three regular seasons — and the fact that they have to integrate Brown into the starting lineup could make reaching their highest heights difficult.
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Malik Smith has been immersed in the sports betting industry since 2017. He’s a data nerd with a particular focus on the NBA and combat sports. He spends his weeknights in the winter looking for edges on plus-money NBA player props.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
