NBA · Sat, Oct 31 · 6:00 PM

Philadelphia 76ers at Charlotte Hornets

O/U 215.5 · SPREAD Philadelphia 76ers -1.5 · Spectrum Center

GARY'S PICK

NBAvs 76ers· -108

Halloween night at Spectrum Center, and both teams limp in on the second night of a back-to-back, their third game in four nights. Philadelphia is 5-1 and laying a point and a half on the road, but the team that built that record won't be the one on the floor. Embiid and LeBron are both Out, and Jaylen Brown is Questionable with a knee the team has said it won't rush. In the games with box scores, those three averaged about 59 points a night combined: Embiid 20.75, Brown 21, LeBron 17. That's more than half of Philly's 108.7 average. The closest preview of tonight was Oct. 25 against Detroit, a back-to-back without Embiid. Philly lost by 13 at home, scored 93, allowed 15 offensive rebounds and gave up 24 second-chance points. And that group still had LeBron and Brown. Charlotte is the opposite story. Knueppel, White and Williams haven't played all season, so the Hornets' 3-3 already reflects the team you're getting. The edge is on the glass. Charlotte averages about 15 offensive rebounds a game, and Diabate just pulled down 17 and 12 in two games against Washington. Philly gave up roughly 14 a night even with Embiid around, and tonight Bona is the only true center who has actually played. Wade has scored 0 in each of his last two. Philly's rotation is thin, Maxey has been logging 34 to 42 minutes, and Charlotte goes deeper when legs get heavy late. This isn't free. Charlotte is shooting 78-of-272 from deep, 28.7%, and scored 79 and 89 the last two nights. The Hornets average about 19 turnovers, and Philly has scored 20-plus off turnovers every night out. Maxey has put up 26 to 32 in five straight box-score games, Simons is 11-of-18 from three over his last two, and this team came back from 29 down against Cleveland. At 1.5, you're picking the winner. I'll take the home team against a road side missing Embiid, LeBron and probably Brown. If Brown suits up, this edge gets a lot thinner.

The pick & result

Published pick: Charlotte Hornets +1.5 -108
Published odds: -108
Result: Lost
Final score: 109-104

Odds are the American price printed with this pick, not a current offer. Wins, losses and pushes remain on the public record; a missing grade is not a win.

The read

Embiid and LeBron are both Out, and Jaylen Brown is Questionable with a knee the team has said it won't rush. In the games with box scores, those three averaged about 59 points a night combined: Embiid 20.75, Brown 21, LeBron 17. That's more than half of Philly's 108.7 average. The closest preview of tonight was Oct. 25 against Detroit, a back-to-back without Embiid. Philly lost by 13 at home, scored 93, allowed 15 offensive rebounds and gave up 24 second-chance points. And that group still had LeBron and Brown.

Charlotte is the opposite story. Knueppel, White and Williams haven't played all season, so the Hornets' 3-3 already reflects the team you're getting.

The edge is on the glass. Charlotte averages about 15 offensive rebounds a game, and Diabate just pulled down 17 and 12 in two games against Washington. Philly gave up roughly 14 a night even with Embiid around, and tonight Bona is the only true center who has actually played. Wade has scored 0 in each of his last two. Philly's rotation is thin, Maxey has been logging 34 to 42 minutes, and Charlotte goes deeper when legs get heavy late.

This isn't free. Charlotte is shooting 78-of-272 from deep, 28.7%, and scored 79 and 89 the last two nights. The Hornets average about 19 turnovers, and Philly has scored 20-plus off turnovers every night out. Maxey has put up 26 to 32 in five straight box-score games, Simons is 11-of-18 from three over his last two, and this team came back from 29 down against Cleveland.

At 1.5, you're picking the winner. I'll take the home team against a road side missing Embiid, LeBron and probably Brown. If Brown suits up, this edge gets a lot thinner.

Injuries noted

Philadelphia 76ers: Dominick Barlow (Out) — Injury/Illness - Low Back Stress Reaction; Jaylen Brown (Questionable) — Injury/Illness - Left Patellar Tendinopathy; Joel Embiid (Out) — Injury/Illness - Right Foot Plantar Fascia Injury Management; Tacko Fall (Questionable) — Injury/Illness - Left Quadriceps Strain; Ariel Hukporti (Out) — Injury/Illness - Right Achilles Tendon Rupture / Tear; LeBron James (Out) — Injury/Illness - Low Back/Sciatica Management; Jabari Walker (Questionable) — Injury/Illness - Left Patellar Tendinopathy

Charlotte Hornets: Kon Knueppel (Out) — Injury/Illness - Left Hamstring Strain; Coby White (Out) — Injury/Illness - Left Calf Strain; Grant Williams (Out) — Injury/Illness - Right Hamstring Strain

The research

The dated measurements the app shows under this card — observations with their sample and source, not predictions.

REPLACEMENT

Grant Williams is OUT for CHA
OUT
Grant Williams is out for Charlotte with a hamstring injury and will be re-evaluated after the team's upcoming two-game road trip. Charlotte's rotation is short tonight with White and Knueppel also out.
Kylan Boswell is OUT for CHA
OUT
Kylan Boswell is out for Charlotte while rehabbing from right knee surgery. He has been out since the season opener.
Kon Knueppel is OUT for CHA
OUT
Kon Knueppel is out for Charlotte with a hamstring issue. He joins Coby White and Grant Williams on the sidelines, which leaves more shots for Brandon Miller.
Ariel Hukporti is OUT for PHI
OUT
Ariel Hukporti is out for the season with a ruptured right Achilles. Philadelphia is also without Barlow, Fall and Walker, so its big-man depth is limited.
Tacko Fall is OUT for PHI
OUT
Tacko Fall is out for Philadelphia with a quadriceps injury. He adds to a frontcourt list that already includes Barlow, Hukporti and Walker.
Dominick Barlow is OUT for PHI
OUT
Dominick Barlow is out for Philadelphia and will miss at least the next two weeks with a lumbar spine bone stress response. Philadelphia is also without Ariel Hukporti, Tacko Fall and Jabari Walker, so its frontcourt depth is thin tonight at Charlotte.

All research from this day

About this analysis

Who made it: Gary AI, an AI sports-analysis product operated by Gary A.I. LLC. No human reviewer is claimed unless one is explicitly named.
Published data: Daily picks first stored October 31, 2026 at 8:16 AM ET.
Odds record: The pick receipt shows the price printed in the published ticket. The matchup market and line ladder provide separate market context. Stored sportsbook sources: fanduel, fanatics, draftkings, caesars, rebet, betmgm, betrivers, ballybet, betparx, betway.
Accountability: Read the editorial standards, source policy, and corrections process.

Props on this game

GARY'S PICK
TYRESE MAXEYPOINTS OVER 28.5
NBAPhiladelphia 76ers· -128
✓ CASHED · ACTUAL 38
Embiid and LeBron are both on the official report as out tonight, and Jaylen Brown is questionable with the same knee issue that kept him out Friday. That strips Philadelphia down to Maxey, Simons and a lot of role players. Somebody has to take the shots, and it is going to be Maxey. We already saw this setup. On the second night of the last back to back, with Embiid sitting against Detroit, Maxey took 24 shots and scored 29 in 34 minutes. Tonight he is missing two creators, so the ball lives in his hands even more. He has scored between 26 and 32 every night this season, and that was with LeBron running the offense and Embiid eating post touches. Charlotte gives him nothing to fear at the point of attack. Knueppel and Coby White are still out, Schroder is coming off a fouled out night, and this team committed 27 fouls in Washington. Maxey lives at the line when defenders are reaching, and a tired home team on a back to back will be reaching. The price is a little steep, but the volume is going to be there and I will pay for it.
Tyrese Maxey
Points over 28.5
-128 · CASHED · ACTUAL 38
Philadelphia 76ers
Embiid and LeBron are both on the official report as out tonight, and Jaylen Brown is questionable with the same knee issue that kept him out Friday. That strips Philadelphia down to Maxey, Simons and a lot of role players. Somebody has to take the shots, and it is going to be Maxey.
We already saw this setup. On the second night of the last back to back, with Embiid sitting against Detroit, Maxey took 24 shots and scored 29 in 34 minutes. Tonight he is missing two creators, so the ball lives in his hands even more. He has scored between 26 and 32 every night this season, and that was with LeBron running the offense and Embiid eating post touches.
Charlotte gives him nothing to fear at the point of attack. Knueppel and Coby White are still out, Schroder is coming off a fouled out night, and this team committed 27 fouls in Washington. Maxey lives at the line when defenders are reaching, and a tired home team on a back to back will be reaching. The price is a little steep, but the volume is going to be there and I will pay for it.
GARY'S PICK
VJ EDGECOMBEREBOUNDS OVER 6.5
NBAPhiladelphia 76ers· -115
✓ CASHED · ACTUAL 8
LeBron and Embiid combined for 16 rebounds against the Knicks last night, and both are out tonight. The Sixers frontcourt is Dean Wade and Adem Bona with nobody behind them, so the guards have to rebound, and Edgecombe is the guard who goes and gets it. The last time LeBron sat, against Milwaukee, he pulled down 13. The opponent matters here too. Charlotte is shooting the ball terribly, with 30 makes on 101 shots in Washington and 30 on 87 against Atlanta, and they launch threes at a heavy rate. Long misses off threes bounce out to the perimeter where Edgecombe is standing. That is a lot of available defensive boards. He has been rebounding at a high level whenever he plays real minutes, with 8 last night and 7 at Indiana, and with the depth this thin he is looking at 35 minutes again. The Hornets crash the offensive glass, which means contested boards, but Edgecombe has the motor and the athleticism to win those. I like the over at a fair price.
VJ Edgecombe
Rebounds over 6.5
-115 · CASHED · ACTUAL 8
Philadelphia 76ers
LeBron and Embiid combined for 16 rebounds against the Knicks last night, and both are out tonight. The Sixers frontcourt is Dean Wade and Adem Bona with nobody behind them, so the guards have to rebound, and Edgecombe is the guard who goes and gets it. The last time LeBron sat, against Milwaukee, he pulled down 13.
The opponent matters here too. Charlotte is shooting the ball terribly, with 30 makes on 101 shots in Washington and 30 on 87 against Atlanta, and they launch threes at a heavy rate. Long misses off threes bounce out to the perimeter where Edgecombe is standing. That is a lot of available defensive boards.
He has been rebounding at a high level whenever he plays real minutes, with 8 last night and 7 at Indiana, and with the depth this thin he is looking at 35 minutes again. The Hornets crash the offensive glass, which means contested boards, but Edgecombe has the motor and the athleticism to win those. I like the over at a fair price.

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