Sixers odds: Where they stand after the NBA schedule release amid James Harden uncertainty

NBA schedule release day is here, but all eyes locally are on James Harden, after he called 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey “a liar” while vowing to never be a part of a team Morey is running.

While the Harden controversy is far from over, the 76ers, along with reigning MVP Joel Embiid, will begin their season in Milwaukee on Oct. 26, facing the Bucks in a prime-time matchup.

Their first crack at a rematch of the Eastern Conference semifinals with the Boston Celtics will come early in the calendar, a Nov. 6 meeting in Philadelphia after the 76ers bowed out in Game 7 after taking a 3-2 lead in that series. We also found out late last week that the 76ers will have a Christmas Day showdown with Jimmy Butler and the Heat in Miami.

Shortly after the Denver Nuggets won this year’s NBA title, the 76ers opened with the fifth-best betting odds to win it all at 12/1, tied with the Lakers and Warriors.

Now that the full 2023-24 NBA schedule is out, here’s a look at the 76ers’ title odds, along with their odds to win the newly formed in-season tournament that culminates in Las Vegas in December.

2024 NBA championship odds (FanDuel)

1. Celtics: +470

2. Nuggets: +480

3. Bucks: +600

4. Suns: +650

5. Heat: +1000

6. Warriors: +1400

7. Lakers: +1500

8. 76ers: +1700

9. Cavaliers: +2000

10. Clippers: +2000

11. Mavericks: +2400

12. Grizzlies: +3000

13. Pelicans: +4700

14. Kings: +5000

15. Knicks: +5500

16. Hawks: +7500

17. Thunder: +8500

18. Timberwolves: +8500

19. Raptors: +10000

20. Nets: +10000

21. Bulls: +13000

22. Trail Blazers: +25000

23. Jazz: +25000

24. Pacers: +25000

25. Spurs: +25000

26. Magic: +35000

27. Rockets: +35000

28. Wizards: +50000

29. Hornets: +50000

30. Pistons: +50000

The 76ers at 17/1 odds to win the championship have remained steady since Harden requested a trade from Philadelphia in June. Despite the offseason drama, oddsmakers still have the 76ers among the top eight in odds to win the NBA title, but they remain behind Eastern Conference foes in the Celtics (the favorites to win the NBA title), the Bucks, and the Heat.

The Sixers’ chances of winning the in-season tournament, though, look more promising.

East Group A in-season tournament winner odds (FanDuel)

1. 76ers: +135

2. Cavaliers: +175

3. Hawks: +500

4. Pacers: +650

5. Pistons: +1600

There’s no denying that the 76ers got a favorable pairing when it comes to their tournament pool. With the Cavaliers seemingly the biggest threats to the Sixers, oddsmakers see the Joel Embiid-led 76ers as the favorites to come out of East Group A.

Meanwhile, the Bucks and Heat will battle it out in East Group B, though the Celtics have no real threat in East Group C, with teams like the Nets and Raptors as the next contenders in their respective grouping.

76ers will open tournament play with the Pistons in Detroit on Nov. 10, then the Pacers on Nov. 14 in Philadelphia, the Hawks in Atlanta on Nov. 17 and finish with the Cavaliers in Philly on Nov. 21 in what could be the group-clinching game for either team.

The Sixers are tied for sixth-best odds to win the NBA in-season tournament championship, alongside the Cavaliers and Lakers, all valued at +1400. They are behind the Celtics (+800), Nuggets (+1100), Bucks (+1100), Suns (+1200), and Warriors (+1300).

1. Point spread: 76ers (+4.5) @ Bucks (-4.5)

2. Money line: 76ers (+158) @ Bucks (-188)

3. Total: N/A

1. Point spread: 76ers (+3) @ Heat (-3)

2. Money line: 76ers (+122) @ Heat (-144)

3. Total: N/A