76ers vs Nets Odds: Philadelphia Rolls Into Game 3 in Cruise Control
76ers an NBA-Best 50-34 Against the Spread this Season
The NBA playoffs have gone as planned so far for the No. 3 seed Philadelphia 76ers, who hold a commanding 2-0 lead over the No. 7 seed Brooklyn Nets. Now, with the Nets’ fate standing on shaky ground, the Eastern Conference first-round series shifts to the Barclays Center.
Can Brooklyn turn around its fortunes in Thursday’s Game 3 (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT)? To better answer that question, let’s take a closer look at the 76ers vs Nets odds.
Philly’s Depth in Talent Showing
Brooklyn did a reasonable job against two-time NBA scoring champion Joel Embiid in Game 2. Embiid scored just 20 points and had eight turnovers, though he did contribute 19 points, seven assists and three blocks.
It was his second-lowest scoring output in 2023, behind a 12-point effort against the Bulls on March 22, in which he departed early because of calf tightness. Meanwhile, he matched a season-high in turnovers.
Despite that, Philadelphia still covered the 10-point spread, improving to 2-0 this series and an NBA-best 50-34 ATS this season. Tyrese Maxey paced the Sixers with 33 points and six 3-pointers.
For the Nets, who managed to hold Embiid to 13.1 points below his season average, it was a stark reminder of the disparity in talent on the floor.
The 76ers were a heavy favorite to win the series, and understandably so. Those 76ers vs Nets odds have since skyrocketed from -850 to -4000. A Philadelphia sweep is now the likeliest outcome at +125, according to oddsmakers.
76ers’ Conference Title Odds Holding Steady
Two wins over Brooklyn haven’t done much to improve Philadelphia’s Eastern Conference title odds. The 76ers are now +400 to win the East, up a smidge from +450.
Should you be surprised? Well, not really. The 76ers are simply doing what they were expected to do against an inferior Nets squad. That said, the top of the board did shift, with Boston (+130) overtaking No. 1 seed Milwaukee (+160) as the conference favorite following Giannis Antetokounmpo’s lower back injury. The Bucks trail Miami 1-0 in their series.
Of course, the way things are going, Philadelphia’s odds will only get shorter. The East is seemingly still a three-team race, with the Knicks sitting a distant fourth on the conference oddsboard at +1600. Meanwhile, Philadelphia now owns the fourth-best NBA title odds at +800, up from +1000 before the playoffs.
Handicapping Game 3
Philadelphia is now 6-0 against Brooklyn this season. While the Nets’ roster has been a revolving door, mostly because of the Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant trades and Ben Simmons injury, the point remains: Brooklyn is severely overmatched.
Mikal Bridges has become a bona fide go-to player, averaging 25.5 points this series, and yet the Nets have barely had a chance to keep pace. Philadelphia is simply too deep and talented.
With the series shifting to Brooklyn, the 76ers remain favored, although the NBA point spread has shrunk to -4.5. Additionally, Philadelphia is -190 on the moneyline, with Brooklyn priced at+163.
The over/under has shrunk to 208.5, following a defensive-minded Game 2 in which the teams combined for just 180 points.
Brooklyn made just 13 of its 42 3-point attempts and shot 37.5% overall in the 96-84 loss. It marked the first time the Nets failed to crack triple digits since a 101-96 loss to Sacramento on March 16. Remember, Philadelphia allowed the third-fewest points per game in the regular season (110.9). This remains Philadelphia’s series to lose.
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