The Los Angeles Lakers are 0-5 straight up and 1-4 against the spread over their last five games. The Lakers begin a four-game road trip on Thursday night when they face the Philadelphia 76ers.

Los Angeles is a 9-point road underdog in Philadelphia at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. When the two teams met last month in Los Angeles, Philadelphia won 115-109 as a 4-point road favorite.

The Lakers have a pair of impressive young players leading the way on offense in 2016 second overall draft pick Brandon Ingram and one of the biggest surprises out of the 2017 draft in Kyle Kuzma.

Unfortunately for Los Angeles, the rookie the team expected to be the star of the offense in Lonzo Ball has been extremely disappointing through the first quarter of the season. Ball's offensive struggles are part of the reason that the Lakers are just 3-10 SU and 4-9 ATS over their last 13 games.

Philadelphia hasn't had a winning record over the course of an 82-game season since going 43-39 back in 2004-05. A healthy Joel Embiid could be the one to help the 76ers end that slump. Averaging 23 points, 11.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game, Embiid has quickly established himself as one of the premier big men in the NBA.

2016's first overall pick Ben Simmons is playing well as well, and this team will be even more dangerous when Markelle Fultz returns from his shoulder injury. The 76ers are 8-4 ATS at home this season.

Thursday night's total is set at 222.5 points. The total has gone UNDER in each of Philadelphia's last three games.

The last time these two teams played, Embiid had the best game of his career, posting an incredible stat line of 46 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists and seven blocks. The star center isn't likely to post numbers quite that good again, but he should hold a mental edge on this weak Lakers defense heading into the rematch.

In their last seven games on the road, the Lakers are 1-6 SU and ATS per the OddsShark NBA Database. Los Angeles has lost each of its last three games away from Staples Center.