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Match Facts
The Washington Wizards head to Philadelphia trying to do something they have not managed all season: stack wins and snap a long road skid. After starting 1-15, Washington has finally shown some life, winning two of its last three with home upsets over Atlanta and Milwaukee. CJ McCollum has carried the load offensively, dropping 46 on the Hawks and then burying a contested, go-ahead three in the final seconds of a 129-126 win over the Bucks. Even in that Milwaukee game, the Wizards had to grind late, leaning on defense and Bilal Coulibaly’s on-ball work to close it.
The Philadelphia 76ers, sitting at 10-9, come in off a 142-134 double-overtime loss to the Hawks. They erased an eight-point deficit in the final minute of regulation and still walked off with nothing, another reminder of how much they are asking of Tyrese Maxey while Joel Embiid’s minutes are carefully managed. Embiid returned to the lineup for that game but has already been ruled out for this one as he continues to work back from offseason knee surgery. Maxey remains the unquestioned focal point.
This is an early-season Eastern Conference game where a heavy home favorite is trying to stabilize and a struggling road team is trying to prove its mini-surge is real. Full team profiles and season splits are available through the NBA team pages on the ScoresAndStats NBA teams section.
| Item | Info |
|---|---|
| Sport | NBA |
| Matchup | Washington Wizards at Philadelphia 76ers |
| Venue | Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia |
| Date / Time | Tuesday, December 2, 2025 – 7:00 PM ET |
| Records | Wizards 3-16, 76ers 10-9 |
Line and Odds
The market is still treating this as a mismatch, even with Embiid sidelined. Philadelphia is a large home favorite, and Washington is once again a double-digit dog.
| Market | Wizards | 76ers |
|---|---|---|
| Spread | +13.5 (-111) | -13.5 (-111) |
| Moneyline | +539 | -771 |
| Total Points | 235 (Over/Under) |
For real-time line movement, alternate spreads and live totals, you can monitor the NBA board on the ScoresAndStats NBA scores and odds page.
Movement Matchup
Washington’s last week is the best stretch it has had all season. The win over Atlanta was pure shot-making, with McCollum detonating from deep for a season-high 46 points. The win over Milwaukee was more about execution under pressure and defensive toughness. McCollum’s late three was the headline, but Marvin Bagley III’s 22 points, Cam Whitmore’s 17 and Coulibaly’s defensive energy all mattered. Brian Keefe liked how his group “grinded” that one out, which is a notable change from the blowouts that defined much of their 1-15 start. The issue is that both wins were at home, and the road form remains ugly: nine straight away losses, including a 33-point no-show in Indiana between those victories.
For the 76ers, the Atlanta game showed both resilience and fragility. They stormed back to force overtime, got key plays from Maxey and role guys, and still ran out of gas in the second OT. Maxey’s 44 points and nine assists in 52 minutes underline how much responsibility he is carrying. With Embiid out, he becomes not just the primary engine but the entire offensive ecosystem. Paul George’s 16 points in 28 minutes indicate he is getting closer to full rhythm, but he is listed as questionable with a back issue. Andre Drummond, crucial as the only real interior presence when Embiid sits, is also questionable. If either misses, Philadelphia becomes even more perimeter-heavy and thinner in terms of two-way impact.
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Breakdown Injury Reports
Washington Wizards
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Alex Sarr (F/C) | Out | Groin |
Philadelphia 76ers
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Joel Embiid (C) | Out | Knee |
| Paul George (F) | Questionable | Back |
| Andre Drummond (C) | Questionable | Knee |
| Kelly Oubre Jr. (F) | Out | Knee |
| Trendon Watford (F) | Out | Groin |
Availability for George and Drummond will heavily influence the Sixers’ rotation, especially on the glass and on defense.
Washington Wizards Recent Performance
The Wizards’ season-long profile is still one of the worst in the league, but the recent mini-run is real enough to at least change the feel around the team. Offensively, they finally have a clear hierarchy. McCollum is the primary scorer and late-game shot maker, Middleton provides secondary offense and playmaking, and the younger pieces fill in around them. Their three-point shooting is a legitimate strength; ranking near the top ten in three-point percentage, they can punish over-helping and sloppy closeouts.
Defensively, Washington is still vulnerable, but there are small signs of identity. They are among the better teams at generating steals, which suits a group that wants to pressure the ball and turn defense into offense rather than grind half-court possessions. Coulibaly’s development as a point-of-attack defender gives them at least one stopper to put on top scorers. The paint and boards remain a problem, especially with Sarr out. That weakness is less catastrophic against an Embiid-less Philly team than it would be otherwise, but it still leaves them at risk of getting crushed in second-chance points if Drummond plays big minutes.
Philadelphia 76ers Recent Performance
For Philadelphia, the last four games have been more about survival than style. They have lost three of four, but every outing is shaped by minute limits, rehab timelines and a short bench. Maxey is the constant that keeps them afloat. He is playing at an All-NBA level, combining elite scoring with high-usage playmaking and a relentless attacking mentality. Without Embiid, the 76ers essentially become a faster, more guard-centric team, leaning on pace, spacing and free throws to generate offense.
They already rank among the leaders in possessions per game and free throw efficiency, which gives them a scoring floor even when jumpers are not dropping. The trade-off is that interior defense and rebounding suffer when Embiid and Drummond are not both available. That can let opponents hang around or come back when the offense hits a lull. With Oubre and Watford still out, there is also a shortage of versatile wings who can both stretch the floor and handle bigger defensive assignments, which pushes more responsibility onto George’s health and lesser-used role players.
A more detailed breakdown of how these stylistic shifts translate into betting edges is covered in the ScoresAndStats NBA expert betting guide, which ties game-by-game profiles into broader market trends.
Betting Insights and Trends
The key tension here is simple: Philadelphia is clearly better, but it is short-handed and coming off a double-overtime gut punch, while Washington is still bad on the road but in its best form of the season. The spread at -13.5 reflects a full-season view of both teams rather than the last week in isolation.
Washington’s improved three-point shooting and steal rate make it more dangerous as a big underdog than its record suggests. If McCollum stays hot and they keep hitting from deep, they can at least force the 76ers to keep Maxey and the other starters on the floor longer than ideal. The risk is that their defense collapses on the road the way it has most of the season, giving up wide-open threes and free lane drives that turn this into another blowout.
For Philadelphia, everything comes down to availability and urgency. If George and Drummond both play, the 76ers have the size, shooting and star power to build and maintain a big lead. If one or both sit, the rotation shrinks, foul trouble becomes a bigger risk, and Doc Rivers may throttle Maxey’s minutes in a game where the market expects a comfortable win. That is how backdoor covers happen.
For a macro view of how this game fits into futures and long-term markets like conference and title odds, the ScoresAndStats NBA championship odds predictions page links this kind of matchup to bigger-picture pricing.
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The most honest read is that Philadelphia should win but may not completely justify the number if it is managing legs and minutes. Washington is still not a team you trust outright, but this is one of the few spots where their offensive strengths and current form line up well with a huge underdog spread.
Projected Score: 76ers 121, Wizards 112
Against the spread, that projection leans to Washington +13.5. It respects Philadelphia’s talent edge and home court but bakes in the risk from injuries, workload and the possibility that the Sixers downshift if they get control of the game. On the total, the projection sits at 233, slightly below the 235 line, which tilts toward a modest lean to the under despite both teams’ pace and Washington’s defensive issues.
For additional model-driven plays, including player props on Maxey’s scoring and McCollum’s three-point volume, and for more game previews like this one, you can check the ScoresAndStats NBA picks section, which aggregates verified records and daily best bets.
