The struggling Philadelphia 76ers get set to clash against the lowly Charlotte Hornets Friday night inside the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA. They tip it off at 7:00 pm. The 76ers are in dire need of a win as they have struggled of late.  Bookmaker has installed the 76ers as a heavy - 11.5-point favorite.

The 76ers (33-25) have dropped four of five overall and are now just eight games over .500 on the season. They have dealt with a ton of adversity and have had to deal with a major injury concern and issue with the face of the franchise in Joel Embiid. 

He is averaging a monster 36 points per game this season to go along with a team-high 12 rebounds but has been hampered with a knee injury. According to 76ers Head Coach Nick Nurse, Embiid will be out indefinitely and the club is hoping to get him back for the playoffs. 

In his absence, the bulk of the offense has to be turned over to Tyrese Maxey who has emerged as a legit and serious scoring threat this season. Maxey is netting 25 points per game and has had some monster efforts. He will need to carry the load, but overall, Philadelphia must do a better job of guarding the perimeter and not allowing teams to get open looks and runs towards the basket. 

The Hornets have had a horrible season and they are one of the worst teams in the league. They can not get out of their own way. They have really had issues on both ends of the floor and they have not been able to assemble a competitive roster over the past several seasons, and this year is no different. 

Charlotte only averages 103 points per game and they are not a team that can score in bunches. Even without the 76ers not having Embiid on the floor, the Hornets might have a hard time containing Maxey,

If they can contain him and make him work for his shot, they can keep this game somewhat close. On offense, they are led by 

LaMelo Ball who has also battled a bunch of injuries this season and has really tried to put together a solid season when healthy and on the floor. The 22-year-old point guard is averaging around 22 points per game to go along with eight assists a clip.

He has been bothered with an ankle injury and if he is not able to go, Charlotte might be in trouble.  They will have to find other ways to score and rely on their bench as well. 

The 76ers are 1-4 in their last five games and 1-4 in their last five games against the spread. They are 15-12 in their roadgames against the spread. The totals have gone over in two out of their last five games and 16 out of their last 31 games at home. The Hornets are 3-2 in their last five games and 3-2 in their last five games against the spread too. They are a rough 10-19 in their road games against the number too.