There are two paths for the Sixers to escape the NBA’s Play-In Tournament, and a loss to the Magic doesn’t spell the end. But some national experts see struggles ahead.
Sixers-Magic play-in predictions and odds roundup: Is Philly more likely to beat Orlando or fail to make playoffs? There are two paths for the Sixers to escape the NBA’s Play-In Tournament, and a loss to the Magic doesn’t spell the end. But some national experts see struggles ahead. Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey drives past Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black during the team's first meeting in Philadelphia earlier this season. Sure, they’ve qualified as the Eastern Conference’s No. 7 seed in the Play-In Tournament, meaning even if they lose to the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic on Wednesday night, they’ll get a second chance to advance to the first round with a home game against the loser of the 9-10 matchup between the Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat.
While he’s no longer an MVP-caliber player on a nightly basis, he has shown flashes of his former self at various points this season when he was able to stay healthy, his latest stretch ended by appendicitis. So what does Embiid’s absence mean for the Sixers as they look to earn a first-round matchup with the Boston Celtics by beating Orlando? Sixers playoff predictions: Will they make it out of the Play-In Tournament? How far will they advance? Will the Sixers make it easy and beat the Magic and move right into the playoffs? Will they take the hard way? Or will they fail to make it altogether? It depends on whom you ask. Here’s a roundup of what the media are saying about the Sixers’ chances in the Play-In Tournament and beyond …— even if some didn’t sound so sure — but none think they’ll get by whatever team is waiting in the first round, whether it’s the Celtics or top-seeded Detroit Pistons.
Here’s what Gina Mizell had to say about the Sixers’ matchup with Orlando: But they had better win Wednesday against the Orlando Magic, because a season-on-the-line elimination game against the upstart Charlotte Hornets is downright scary. Orlando entered 2025-26 as a dark horse East contender after adding Desmond Bane to its core of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, and Anthony Black. But the Magic’s season has been part injury-plagued, part puzzling disaster.
— Four of the outlet’s six writers have Philly beating the Magic on Wednesday night. But if the Sixers do lose, none have them beating the Hornets for the No. 8 seed — a nightmare scenario for Sixers fans.
— It’s much tighter at ESPN, with just seven of its 13 experts picking the Sixers and six picking the Magic.
— It turns out there’s more than one person who thinks the Sixers will lose two straight and be eliminated from the playoffs before they even start. The Sporting News’ Stephen Noh is also picking against the Sixers.
— This might be when Sixers fans need to turn away. Yet another writer, SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell, is picking Philly to lose to Orlando and Charlotte.
— Four of its five writers are picking the Sixers to advance out of the Play-In Tournament, with three thinking they’ll beat the Magic to emerge as the No. 7 seed and one thinking they’ll fall Wednesday but beat the Hornets on Friday., the Sixers are 1.5-point favorites for Wednesday night’s game and are -120 on the moneyline, while Orlando is +102. The total is set at 222.5. Meanwhile, it’s pretty similar at, where the Sixers are also giving a point and a half to the Magic and the point total is set one point lower at 221.5.
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