Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (calf) has been ruled out of Monday night’s matchup against the Denver Nuggets.
ESPN Reporting with @Ramonashelburne: The showdown of MVP frontrunners is off tonight: Sixers are ruling out Joel Embiid (calf) vs. Nikola Jokic and Nuggets. Embiid attempted to work out this morning, but team is taking a precautionary approach given density of recent schedule.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 27, 2023
This calls off the meeting of leading MVP candidates Embiid and Nikola Jokic in a game that could have impacted the award race. Embiid’s calf issue was deemed too much to overcome this morning, and he’ll sit for precautionary reasons as the team turns its attention to the postseason. Since the announcement, the spread has adjusted accordingly, moving two points toward the Nuggets.
In 2022, Embiid has averaged 33.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game in 61 starts. In his place, expect the 76ers to go small and put Paul Reed or Dewayne Dedmon in at center for Monday night’s matchup.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Denver Nuggets Odds
The Philadelphia 76ers are seven-point underdogs against the Denver Nuggets on Monday night, with the total set at 229.5, per the FanDuel Sportsbook.