Is Joel Embiid Playing Tonight? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for 76ers vs. Hornets)

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid had one of his best games of the 2025-26 season on Saturday afternoon against the New York Knicks, dropping 38 points, 11 rebounds and five assists while shooting 13-for-21 from the field.

However, Embiid will get a day off on Monday with the Sixers game against the Charlotte Hornets getting moved up to the afternoon. Monday's game is the front end of a back-to-back for Philly, and Embiid has not played in back-to-backs over the last two seasons.

So, it makes sense that the 76ers want to rest him in one of these games, and it should set the stage for him to play on Tuesday against the Milwaukee Bucks.

As a result, Philly is a road underdog on Monday against the Hornets, who are suddenly in the mix to make the play-in tournament in the Eastern Conference. DraftKings as the Hornets as 3.5-point favorites in this game.

This season, Embiid got off to a bit of a slow start, but he's starting to look like himself as of late. The star big man has 38, 32, 30 and 33 points in his last four games, and he's now averaging 25.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game while shooting 48.6 percent from the field.

The 3-point shot has yet to come along for Embiid (28.0 percent this season), but he's still showcasing some dominance as a scorer.

With the former league MVP out, here's a look at my favorite prop bet for Philadelphia on Monday night.

Best 76ers Prop Bet vs. Hornets

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Quentin Grimes OVER 12.5 Points (-113)

Guard Quentin Grimes has been up and down as a scorer in the last month with Embiid and Paul George both consistently in the rotation, but both players are expected to miss tonight's game.

So, that's likely going to open up some more minutes and touches for the former first-round pick.

This season, Grimes is averaging 13.3 points per game while shooting 43.3 percent from the field and 34.7 percent from beyond the arc. However, those numbers jump to 15.0 points per game on 43.8 percent shooting from the field and 36.9 percent from 3 when Embiid is out of the lineup (18 games).

That makes Grimes an intriguing pick in this matchup, as he's scored 13 or more points in 13 of those 18 games. The Sixers guard is one of several players that should benefit from a little extra run, but his prop is set below his season average. I think that makes him a great target in the prop market this afternoon.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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