The Philadelphia 76ers (1-0) host the Cleveland Cavaliers (0-0) in an exciting early-season showdown on Thursday night, as LeBron James faces his former team. James had 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in a 106-100 Philadelphia win over the Knicks on Tuesday. The 76ers are 2.5-point home favorites against the Cavaliers, while the over/under is 235.5. Claim the Kalshi promo code CBSSPORTS55 here now and get a $55 bonus after $25 in trades:
Tipoff for 76ers vs. Cavaliers is set for 7 p.m. ET at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. SportsLine's proven computer model and one of its experts have analyzed Cavaliers vs. 76ers and revealed their 76ers vs. Cavaliers prediction, and you can also read our NBA betting preview for Thursday's matchup. Claim the latest Polymarket promo code CBSSPORTS to get a $25 bonus after $10 in trades:
76ers vs. Cavaliers betting preview
Philadelphia's new squad got off to a hot start, taking down the defending champion Knicks on the road on Tuesday night. LeBron James joined returners Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and VJ Edgecombe, along with fellow newcomer Jaylen Brown, in the starting lineup. Maxey poured in 28 points, while Brown had 19 and Embiid chipped in 13 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.
Cleveland returns a similar core to the group that made the Eastern Conference finals last season. The Cavaliers are led by Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, and they added Peyton Watson from Denver in the offseason. The 76ers are 2.5-point home favorites in the 76ers vs. Cavaliers odds, with the over/under at 235. Claim $200 in bonus bets and three free months of NBA League Pass after your first $5 wager at DraftKings here:
76ers vs. Cavaliers picks, best bets
- 76ers -148
- LeBron James Over 15.5 points (-110)
76ers -148
"The Cavaliers are capable of ruining LeBron James' home debut with the Sixers but probably not if Jarrett Allen sits -- and he's in question due to injury," SportsLine expert Matt Severance said. "Love the NBA but already with the injury questions. And I'm sure the last thing LeBron wants to do is lose to Cleveland in maybe the final home opener of his career. That Philly also has a game under its belt helps, while it's the season opener for the Cavs. They swept last season but things are a bit different." Bet on Cavaliers vs. 76ers at bet365 with bonus code CBSBET365 and get $200 in bonus bets after betting $10:
LeBron James Over 15.5 points (-110)
James is in his first season with Philadelphia, so there is only one game of data heading into this matchup. He finished with 14 points against New York, but the volume was there with 13 shot attempts and six free throws. James went 0 for 3 from downtown in that game, and it was a relatively low-scoring game in general. The veteran played 33 minutes, which landed right on his regular-season average from last year with the Lakers, when he averaged 20.9 points per game. SportsLine's model has James finishing with 21.4 points on Thursday night to comfortably clear this prop total. Use the BetMGM bonus code CBSSPORTS to get up to $1,500 in bonus bets when wagering on 76ers vs. Cavaliers:
