76ers vs Raptors player props: Fast start for Pascal Siakham, Harden triple-double watch

After starting the season 0-3, the Philadelphia 76ers picked up their first win on Monday night over the Indiana Pacers, led by a near triple-double from guard James Harden en route to a 120-106 win.

Now, Harden, Joel Embiid and the Sixers will head north of the border to face off against a pesky Toronto Raptors team, who they beat in the first round series during the 2022 NBA Playoffs, 4-2.

This will be one of three matchups between the teams, and the 76ers are looking to play catch up after falling behind in the Eastern Conference early in the season. Here’s a look at the best prop bets in this game using the FanDuel Sportsbook betting market.

Over the last two games, Harden has turned back the clock and looked like the player the Sixers traded for that dates back to his Houston Rockets days. In three of his first four games, Harden has shot 50% from the field or better, pouring in nearly 30 points in three of those games.

He’s also flirted with a triple-double over the last two, just missing out on it by one rebound in each game. On the season thus far, Harden is averaging 8.5 rebounds and 9.8 assists and now faces a stiff Raptors squad coming off a win against the Miami Heat on Monday.

With the 76ers facing the Raptors twice this week, I expect Harden to be aggressive early and often to carry over their momentum from their first win and do his best to keep Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and others engaged.

In a category that could go to almost anyone, the first basket of the game being Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam isn’t as far-fetched as it seems on paper. In three of the Raptors first four games, Siakam has scored the first basket within the first two minutes of the game.

He’s also the Raptors’ leading scorer this season, pouring in 23 points in three of his first four games, with the other game ending in a 37-point performance in a loss to the Brooklyn Nets last week.

Although there’s a possibility the Sixers may play through Embiid to get him going early on in this game, Siakam is a two-way star who lives in the passing line. Watch out for the former New Mexico State standout to get off to a fast start.

» READ MORE: Overreaction or appropriate panic? Assessing storylines from the Sixers’ disappointing start

We all remember the last time these two teams met, when Embiid suffered a concussion and orbital fracture near his right eye when he received an elbow from Siakam late in the Game 6 victory on April 28.

This will no doubt be used as motivation to fuel Embiid in this Eastern Conference showdown. His season thus far has been up and down, scoring 26 points in a win over the Pacers and loss to the Celtics, a 40-point showing in a loss to the San Antonio Spurs and a dismal 15 points against the Milwaukee Bucks.

The 76ers have emphasized how important it is to win on the road, and that starts with Embiid. I expect him to have a big night against a Toronto squad who will send double teams to him all-game long, but it won’t matter in the end.

The Inquirer is not an online gambling operator, or a gambling site. We provide this information about sports betting for entertainment purposes only.