The NBA All-Star break is over and now the second half process begins for the Philadelphia 76ers and newly acquired, 10-time NBA All-Star James Harden, who will make his debut tonight as the Sixers visit the Minnesota Timberwolves at 8 p.m. ET.
How are Sixers fans and Pennsylvania sports bettors supposed to size up the new-look squad?
The Sixers (35-23) are currently in third place in the Eastern Conference, tied with the defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks, three games behind the surprising front-runner, the Chicago Bulls.
Fans in the City of Brotherly Love feel the Harden acquisition and the farewell to malcontent Ben Simmons can put the Sixers over the top to capture both the conference and an NBA title, which would be the first for the franchise since 1983 when the big names were Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Maurice Cheeks and Andrew Toney.
Two mobile sportsbooks agree with that assessment, or at least are giving the Sixers a solid chance to accomplish both.
BetMGM on Sixers’ Odds, Embiid as MVP
At BetMGM, the Sixers opened the season to win the NBA Championship at +1600. Today the number stands at +700, which trails only the Golden State Warriors (+425), the Phoenix Suns (+450), the Bucks and the Brooklyn Nets (both +600). To win the Eastern Conference, the Sixers opened at +750 and now those odds have been cut by more than half at +350.
On the league’s Most Valuable Player odds, Sixers star center and fan favorite Joel Embiid opened the season at +700 and now is leading the pack as favorite at +125. Harden, who has been dealing with hamstring issues for the first half of the season, opened the year at +2500 (25-1) and is now at a whopping +50000 (500-1).
And the View from DraftKings
Over at DraftKings, the Sixers opened at +2000 to capture the NBA title and are currently at +700. That trails the Suns (+380), the DraftKings favorite, as well as the Warriors (+450) and the Nets (+475). The Sixers’ odds are ahead of the Bucks (+750).
A shift for the Eastern Conference has occurred, with the Sixers now standing at +370, from opening season odds of +750. The Nets are at +245 and the Bucks are at +330. To win the Atlantic Division, Philadelphia is the favorite at -225.
Embiid’s MVP odds at DraftKings have been posted at +130, which installs him as the favorite. Harden is the same as BetMGM at +50000 (500-1).
You can get the latest updates at PennStakes.com with our Pennsylvania sports betting promo codes.
Branded 76ers Games Unveiled by BetMGM
Last week BetMGM announced the launch of Philadelphia 76ers Blackjack and Roulette. Both games will use the branding and color schemes of the company’s first NBA team partner.
The two are the first Philadelphia-themed games produced by BetMGM, but their overall team number is now four. BetMGM created similar games for three NFL teams: the Detroit Lions (blackjack, roulette), New York Jets (blackjack, roulette, slingo) and Pittsburgh Steelers (blackjack, roulette).
The pact also focuses on campaigns and promotions geared toward digital fan engagement. BetMGM also will be prominently featured on in-arena signage at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia and across the team’s social and digital platforms.
BetMGM became an official gaming partner of the 76ers in December 2020.
