76ers vs Nets Odds: Philadelphia Expected to Roll in Opening Round
Philly -850 Favorite Behind MVP Frontrunner Joel Embiid
The third-seeded Philadelphia 76ers and sixth-seeded Brooklyn Nets will square off in the first round of the NBA’s Eastern Conference playoffs. Philadelphia has been deemed a -850 favorite to win the series, with Brooklyn coming in at +625.It’s the teams’ first meeting in the postseason since the 2019 opening round.
Game One is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. (ESPN) at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Let’s take a closer look at the 76ers vs Nets odds.
Philadelphia 76ers: It’s Now or Possibly Never for Embiid and Co.
Can Philadelphia finally get over the hump after years of underachieving? The 76ers have lost in the conference semifinals four times over the last five seasons. In the other, they were swept in the pandemic-shortened season by the Boston Celtics. Not since 2001 has Philadelphia advanced past the second round.
With James Harden eligible to opt out of his contact this offseason, pressure is mounting on head coach Doc Rivers and the 76ers to take the next step in the postseason. The 76ers, after all, are coming off another strong regular season, in which they won 54 games, their most in 22 years, behind Most Valuable Player favorite Joel Embiid.
Embiid averaged 33.1 points per game, becoming the first center to win back-to-back scoring titles since Bob McAdoo did so three straight seasons from 1973-76. The 7-footer added 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.7 combined blocks and steals per game. With the aging yet still dynamic Harden on his side, the 76ers have a duo capable of leading them to greater heights. In their first trip together to the playoffs last year, Philadelphia lost in six games to the Miami Heat.
Despite strengthening the wing over the summer, adding Danuel House, De’Anthony Melton and P.J. Tucker, Philadelphia got off to an inauspicious start. The 76ers lost four of their first five games, then saw Harden hit the injured list with a strained right foot. Although both Tyrese Maxey and Embiid went down with foot injuries of their own in the weeks to follow, the 76ers hung around long enough to weather the storm.
The 76ers (+450) are one of just three teams in the East with conference title odds below +1600 and share the fifth-best odds (+1000) to win the NBA Finals.
Brooklyn Nets: No Durant, No Kyrie, No Problem — For Now
Brooklyn started the season with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons. Only Simmons — out for the rest of the season with a reoccurring back issue — remains on the roster.
The Nets complied with Irving’s demands, trading him to the Dallas Mavericks on Feb. 5, and did so with Durant too when he asked to be shipped to the Phoenix Suns shortly thereafter. The combined return for the two superstars included Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith and six first-round draft picks.
Simmons, a key piece in last year’s multi-team Harden megadeal, played only 42 games. The three-time All-Star posted career-lows in minutes (26.3), points (6.9), rebounds (6.3), assists (6.1) and free throw percentage (43.9). He was shut down in late March due to a nerve impingement in his back.
While Brooklyn no longer has the starpower it once did, Bridges’ emergence as a legitimate primary scorer kept the Nets in control of a guaranteed playoff spot. Bridges averaged 26.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists over the last 27 games. Dinwiddie has also thrived, dishing out a career-best 9.1 assists per game in his second stint with Brooklyn.
Brooklyn finished 45-37 — one game ahead of seventh-place Miami in the NBA team standings — but was just 11-13 after the All-Star break. As such, the Nets remain longshots in the conference title (+15000) and NBA championship (+50000) betting markets.
Handicapping The Series
Philadelphia swept all four meetings with the Nets this season. While there’s not much to draw from those matchups because of the heavy turnover on Brooklyn’s end, the 76ers head into this series a heavy favorite at -850. A majority of sportsbooks have the Sixers winning in either four (+250) or five games (+180) as the most likely outcomes.
This really isn’t much of a surprise. Brooklyn’s title chances realistically ended once it traded Irving and Durant. The Sixers will undoubtedly have the two best players on the floor in Embiid and Harden, in addition to homecourt advantage. Even if the Nets are able to steal a win in Philadelphia, it’s hard to see them outlasting the Sixers over the course of seven games. It’s no wonder the 76ers vs Nets odds lean heavily in Philadelphia’s favor.
Philadelphia is an 8-point favorite in Game One, plus -325 on the moneyline. Brooklyn, meanwhile, is listed at +265. The over/under is 216.According to NBA spreads, the 76ers were a league-best 48-34 ATS this season, compared to 42-39-1 for the Nets.
For 76ers vs Nets odds, NBA betting news, analysis and more, visit pointspreads.com.
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