Philadelphia 76ers C Joel Embiid has been dealing with a knee injury throughout the early portion of the regular season and will miss Tuesday’s game vs. the Washington Wizards as a result.
Sunday’s game marked the first time this season that Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, and Embiid all played together. However, given that the Sixers are looking to manage Embiid’s knee issue, the star big man won’t be seeing the court on Tuesday; George (back) is also questionable.
Let’s take a closer look at Embiid’s injury update tonight and check out some key stats and PrizePicks picks for the rest of the Sixers’ top weapons, including Tyrese Maxey.
Joel Embiid Injury Update vs. Wizards Tonight
The Sixers have listed Embiid as out for Tuesday’s game due to “right knee injury recovery” — a new designation from when he was out to start the season.
Embiid missed nine consecutive games in November due to the knee injury before returning in Sunday’s 142-134 double-overtime loss against the Atlanta Hawks.
In his first game in three weeks, Embiid scored 18 points on 6-of-14 shooting, adding just 4 rebounds and 2 assists in a season-high 30 minutes. Embiid has appeared in seven games this season and averaged 19.4 points and 5.3 rebounds.
The Sixers are being extremely cautious when it comes to Embiid’s knee this season, which he spoke about after returning on Sunday.
This comes after the star big man was limited to just 19 games in 2024-25 and Philadelphia missed the postseason.
What 76ers Benefit With Joel Embiid Out?
With Embiid out of the lineup, there are a few Sixers that could stand to benefit from his absence.
76ers C Andre Drummond is likely to fill in as the starting center. His minutes vary based on matchup, but Drummond had six games with 33+ minutes in November when Embiid was sidelined and averaged 9.1 points and 11.1 rebounds per game through last month.
Drummond will face off vs. a Wizards team that ranks 29th in rebounding rate (46.7%) and is currently starting 6-foot-10 Marvin Bagley III at center. Drummond is projected for 7.5 points and 10.5 rebounds (18.5 Pts+Rebs) vs. the Wizards tonight on PrizePicks NBA.
Throughout the first two months of the season, 76ers PG Tyrese Maxey has played himself into the MVP conversation and shouldered the bulk of Philadelphia’s scoring load, becoming the new star of this franchise.
Even sharing the floor with Embiid and Paul George against the Hawks, Maxey still went off to the tune of 44 points despite only connecting on two threes.
Maxey is averaging 32.3 points on the season and has only played a few games with Embiid by his side. He’s topped the 30-point mark on four occasions over his last eight games.
Tyrese Maxey Projections vs. Wizards
Here are the most popular Maxey player picks vs. the Wizards tonight, via PrizePicks.
- 32.5 Points
- 45.5 Pts+Rebs+Asts
- 40.5 Pts+Asts
- 53.5 Fantasy Score
- 4 Rebounds
- 6.5 Free Throws Made
- 2.5 3-Pointers Made (Goblin)
Make Tuesday NBA Picks on PrizePicks
After his brief one-game return, the 76ers will again be without C Joel Embiid tonight due to his lingering knee injury as they take on the Wizards.
Even without Embiid, there are plenty of 76ers player picks to consider on PrizePicks to win real money if you're right, including Tyrese Maxey and Andre Drummond. Just pick at least two player stat projections — including from the Wizards vs. 76ers, predict More or Less on their stats, and cash in if you're right.
Check out the Playbook throughout the season for more NBA picks, predictions, and news every day.
