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

Philadelphia 76ers str Joel Embiid has not played since Feb. 26 due to a right oblique strain, but it appears he has a chance to return to the lineup on Wednesday night against the Chicago Bulls.

After being listed as doubtful or out for most of the month of March, Embiid is officially questionable for Wednesday's game. That's a great sign for the Sixers, as they've struggled without the former league MVP this season and are already down Tyrese Maxey (finger) and Kelly Oubre Jr. (elbow) in this matchup.

Joel Embiid (oblique) listed questionable for Wednesday.
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) March 24, 2026

Embiid has played in 33 games this season, leading the Sixers to a 21-12 record. However, Philly is just 18-21 in the 39 games that he's missed, which has caused it to slip into the play-in tournament field (currently the No. 7 seed) in the Eastern Conference.

Oddsmakers at DraftKings have set the 76ers as 6.5-point favorites at home in this matchup, though they'll be favored in this game whether Embiid plays or not since the Bulls are tanking at this point in the regular season.

Embiid has not played at the same level he did when he won the MVP, but he's still an extremely effective offensive player. The former top-five pick is averaging 26.6 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game this season while shooting 49.5 percent from the field and 31.8 percent from 3-point range.

Philadelphia is just 1.5 games out of the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference, so it could make a mini run if Embiid is able to play in the majority of the team's games to close the regular season. However, a questionable tag is far from a guarantee that the star center will suit up since he's missed more games than he's played in this season.

This story will be updated with Embiid's status for Wednesday's game against Chicago.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Claim the latest DraftKings promo code offer today. Sign up and win your first $5 bet to get $200 in bonus bets instantly.