76ers Erase 29-Point Deficit to Stun Cavs in LeBron James' Home Debut

The 76ers trailed by 29 points and still won. Philadelphia stormed back to beat Cleveland 114-106 in its home opener, the largest comeback of LeBron James' career, after a first half that had the home crowd booing James' debut in a Sixers uniform.

Our premium pick had Philadelphia as a -2.5 home favorite with a 235.5 total, and the model projected a 114.9-113.3 game. The final margin landed close to that projection, but the path there was nothing like a tight, low-scoring affair.

The total: We took the Under on a 235.5 line against a projected 227.2. The game finished at 220, so the number itself came in under, but the result isn't recorded as a win for us, and given the 29-point swing, the first-half scoring pace was clearly nowhere near the projection.

Props: Evan Mobley under 17.5 points was the one we flagged as the right side at -110. LeBron James over 15.5 points (-109) was our best-value call, with recent volume supporting it. The same board carried Jaylen Brown over 19.5, James Harden over 18.5, and VJ Edgecombe over 10.5.

Takeaway: A 29-point comeback is a reminder that early-season totals and spreads are pricing momentum and narrative more than form. The total didn't behave like the projection suggested. When the market and the model disagree by eight points on a total, that gap is a warning, not a gift. We'll treat Week 1 totals with more caution going forward.