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

Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid is on the injury report for Thursday night's matchup with the Toronto Raptors due to a back issue.

He's officially listed as questionable for this game, yet the 76ers remain 9.5-point favorites at home against a Toronto team that played last night without both Kawhi Leonard and Scottie Barnes.

Joel Embiid (injury management) listed questionable for Thursday.
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) November 11, 2026

Embiid has appeared in 10 of the Sixers' 12 games this season, only missing two games that were the back end of a back-to-back. This game on Thursday isn't associated with a back-to-back for Philly, as it played against Boston (and lost) on Tuesday and doesn't play again until Sunday against the Indiana Pacers.

Still, it's possible the Sixers want to give Embiid an extended period off, especially since Toronto projects to be short-handed in this matchup. The betting odds suggest Embiid and LeBron James (also questionable) both have a shot to play in this matchup, though the Sixers won't update their status until closer to tip off.

This season, Embiid has not been able to find his MVP form, averaging just 17.7 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per ga,e. He's shooting a paltry 37.0 percent from the field and just 12.1 percent from 3. The Sixers need the big man to get going if they're going to win a title this season, and it's possible that this back issue has hindered him a bit early in the season.

With Embiid's status in question, I'm targeting a different 76ers star to have a big game against Toronto.

Best 76ers Prop Bet vs. Raptors

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Tyrese Maxey OVER 24.5 Points (-106)

Since both James and Embiid are questionable, there’s a chance that Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe all see an uptick in usage on Thursday night.

I’m targeting Maxey in the prop market as a result, as the All-NBA guard has been by far the Sixers’ best player this season.

Through 12 games, Maxey is averaging 26.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game while shooting 49.1 percent from the field and 36.0 percent from 3. He’s seen his shot volume fluctuate in recent games, but he still dropped 24 points on just 12 shots in a loss to Boston on Tuesday.

Overall, Maxey has 25 or more points in nine of his games and is taking 18.5 shots per night. Even if one of James or Embiid plays, either player sitting should open up some more shot volume for Maxey.

The Raptors are playing the second night of a back-to-back, so this is a pretty tough turnaround for them against one of the best teams in the East. I think that sets up well for Maxey to have a big game and at least come right around his season average.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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