Everyone in Philadelphia 76ers will be eagerly checking their favorite social media site of choice nervously through the day Friday. 76ers center Joel Embiid is still in the league’s concussion protocol and hadn’t been cleared to play in Game 3 just yet. However, there is a chance his status could change.
Miami Heat isn’t going to spend too much time worrying about that. The Heat, which is the East’s top seed, has made Philadelphia’s offense look ordinary through two games, both of which Embiid played with. Miami plays well together and have spent this postseason locking down its opponent’s best players. Betting stats NBA shows this game will be pivotal for teams looking to carry on their dream of winning the NBA Finals.
Heat at 76ers Stats
Miami Stats
The Heat were extremely efficient during their 16-point win in Game 2. Miami shot 51.3 percent (49-of-78) from the field. The Heat also shot 48.3 percent from the perimeter. What helped Miami was its willingness to go to the basket. The Heat were able to earn nine more trips to the free-throw line.
Miami also controlled the rebounding battle, holding a 44-34 edge. Forward Jimmy Butler seems to have shook off his injury from the last round, recording a double-double in Game 2 by scoring 22 points and handing out 12 assists. Miami was led in scoring by Bam Adebayo, who scored a team-high 23 points and finished one rebound short of a double-double.
Victor Oladipo and Tyler Herro, who scored 19 and 18 points, respectively, helped provide the Heat with depth scoring. The Heat’s defense is also unwilling to back down. During the regular season, Miami’s perimeter defense could hardly be topped. The Heat only allowed opponents to shoot 33.9 percent from the perimeter, which was second-best in the league.
Philadelphia Stats
Despite missing Joel Embiid, Philadelphia wasn’t overmatched in the paint offensively. The 76ers held a 54-42 edge in points in the paint. Philadelphia, however, had a hard time making shots from the perimeter. The 76ers only made 26.7 percent (8-of-30) of their 3-pointers. Philadelphia is typically a strong 3-point shooting team, as they made 34.6 percent of their attempts during the regular season.
When Philadelphia made it to the free-throw line, the 76ers had some success, knocking down 86.4 percent of its attempts. Tyrese Maxey, who has had an excellent postseason for the 76ers, led Philadelphia by scoring 34 points. James Harden also scored 20 points and finished an assist short of a double-double.
Matchup Information
Heat at 76ers Betting Trends
- Miami is 51-37-1 against the spread this season.
- Philadelphia is 42-47-1 against the spread this season.
- The over has gone 49-39-1 in the Heat’s games.
- The over has gone 42-47-2 in the 76ers’ games.
- Miami is 31-27 against the spread following a win.
- Philadelphia is 16-17-1 against the spread following a loss.
Heat at 76ers Betting Predictions
NBA betting odds have Miami as a 3-point favorite. The Heat are -148 on the moneyline, while the 76ers are +123. Anyone looking to make a different kind of NBA picks can wager on the over/under, which is set at 210 points.
When it comes to how to bet on NBA, generally it is a sound practice to give the home team a little bit of an extra bump. However, how this matchup will play out will depend on what Embiid’s status is. Even if the 76ers star center does come back, what production can be expected coming off an injury to his face?
Philadelphia will need to see Harden and Maxey continue to find ways to score the ball if they want to win. More importantly, the 76ers will need to shoot better from the 3-point line and try to make things uncomfortable for Miami’s defense. The Heat has been as tight of a unit as any other team still left in the playoffs.
For this one, take the road team to cover -3. However, if Embiid’s status is changed before gametime, taking a look at Philadelphia may provide some value.
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