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

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid missed the second night of a back-to-back against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday, but he has a chance to return on Thursday against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Embiid has been a much more consistent presence in the Philadelphia lineup since the turn of the new year, and he's officially listed as questionable against the Lakers with right knee injury management.

Joel Embiid (injury management) listed questionable for Thursday.
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) February 5, 2026

Embiid has appeared in 29 games this season, averaging 26.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 48.8 percent from the field and 30.1 percent from 3. Since Jan. 1, the former league MVP is averaging 29.3 points per game.

While Embiid could play in this matchup, there may be another player prop angle to consider for the 76ers. The star center has been on the injury report for just about every game, but he's been playing as of late even when Philly tags him as questionable. Since Jan. 1, Embiid has only missed four games, and all four of those matchup were part of a back-to-back.

Here's a look at my favorite prop bet for Thursday night's matchup.

Best 76ers Prop Bet vs. Lakers

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Tyrese Maxey 3+ 3-Pointers Made (-179)

Tyrese Maxey has shot the 3-ball extremely well this season, knocking down 39.0 percent of his attempts (8.8 per game) while averaging well over three 3-pointers made per night.

The 76ers guard dominated the Lakers the last time they faced off, shooting 5-for-8 from deep while scoring 28 points in a close loss.

Over the last seven games, Maxey has at least three made 3s in four of them, shooting 38.2 percent from deep during that stretch.

The Lakers are just 19th in opponent 3s made per game and rank in the bottom 10 in the league opponent 3-point percentage. That should set up well for Maxey on Thursday night.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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