Philadelphia 76ers star forward LeBron James (back) is on the injury report ahead of Thursday’s 7:00 p.m. ET tipoff vs. the visiting Toronto Raptors. PrizePicks tabs the 76ers as 7.5-point favorites for the spread.
The 41-year-old James has played in 10 of the 76ers’ first 12 games this season, with both missed appearances for scheduled rest during back-to-back sets. This isn’t an instance of that, though, as Philly’s last game was a loss to the Celtics on Tuesday, and its next game is on Sunday vs. the Pacers.
The Future Hall of Famer James hasn’t played in 75+ games during a season since leaving the Cavaliers for the second time in 2018. In addition, 76ers star CJoel Embiid (right foot plantar fascia management) is also listed on the injury report, so it’ll be interesting to see the decision on both key starters as game time approaches.
Below, we’ll analyze the latest LeBron James injury update, and how his injury impacts Raptors vs. 76ers picks for PrizePicks.
Make Raptors vs. 76ers picks on PrizePicks!
{{nba_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}
LeBron James Injury Update: Will LeBron Play vs. Raptors on Thursday?
James scored 11 points with 8 rebounds and 5 assists in the 76ers’ 123-101 loss vs. the Celtics on Tuesday. He played in a season-low 29 minutes during the defeat against the Atlantic Division rivals.
After beginning the morning as questionable, LeBron has officially been downgraded to out with a back injury for Thursday night’s contest vs. the Raptors. This comes despite James participating in the 76ers’ shootaround on Thursday morning.
Despite tonight not being a back-to-back, this could be another instance of the Sixers looking to give James some rest. He’s averaging over 32 minutes per game during his first season in Philadelphia.
Let’s get into what LeBron's absence could mean for fantasy basketball and 76ers picks for PrizePicks on Thursday.
76ers Players to Target vs. Raptors on PrizePicks with LeBron Out
James is averaging 15.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 6.5 assists in his 24th season. His scoring is down significantly as he shares the floor with a fellow former MVP (Embiid), a former NBA Finals MVP (G Jaylen Brown), an All-Star (G Tyrese Maxey), and a rising second-year player (G V.J. Edgecombe).
Led by a team-high 6.5 assists per game, LeBron is a focal point of the offense as a playermaker — a role that he’s always played and that's even more magnified on a stacked roster. According to databallr, James has a 28.2% on-ball rate that resides in the 95th percentile for his position.
Embiid could also miss tonight, and that turns attention to Brown, Maxey, and Edgecombe. When LeBron and Embiid are off court, Brown (+6.60%) and Edgecombe (+4.25%) see significant increases to their usage rates. But the offense may still feature less efficiency without James orchestrating the offense.
Maxey — who averages a team-best 26.7 points per game — could be particularly effective vs. the Raptors. He’s averaging 25.3 points and 5.7 assists in his last 10 games vs. Toronto, per StatMuse.
Here's a look at some of Maxey's projections vs. the Raptors on PrizePicks:
- 25.5 Points
- 35.5 Pts + Rebs + Asts
- 2.5 3-pointers Made
- 6 Assists
- 41.5 Fantasy Score
He should get more shots if James and/or Embiid don’t play. Maxey posts 18.5 field goal attempts per game, so that might increase and allow for a big scoring performance tonight.
Lock in your NBA picks for Thursday on PrizePicks!
{{nba_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}
Make Raptors vs. 76ers Picks on PrizePicks
LeBron James (back) is listed as out for the 76ers’ home matchup vs. the Raptors. Plus, Joel Embiid is questionable with right foot plantar fascia management. Could this fuel a massive game for Tyrese Maxey tonight?
Don't wait until tipoff — make your Raptors vs. 76ers picks on PrizePicks now and earn real money if you're right.
Pick players, predict More or Less on their stats, and cash in if you’re correct. With Team Picks, make predictions on winners, spreads, and over/unders, and futures — now available in 36 states.
Stay locked in on Playbook for daily NBA injury updates, picks, predictions, and news every day through the 2027 NBA Finals.
Team Picks and Culture Picks are event contracts offered by Performance Predictions II, LLC d/b/a PrizePicks Predict, a CFTC-registered FCM and NFA Member. All event contract customers must be U.S. residents and 18+. Some event contracts may not be available in every state.Event contract trading carries significant risk and is not appropriate for everyone. No guarantee against loss is offered. Past results are not necessarily indicative of future results.Void where prohibited by law. Restrictions apply. For full terms of service see prizepicks.com/predict-regulatory. Team and Culture Pick Early Payouts subject to market liquidity. The content provided is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, or a recommendation to trade any commodity interest.
.jpg)
