The Philadelphia 76ers were able to fight off a ferocious comeback effort from the Toronto Raptors to march on from the first round. However, how coach Doc Rivers handled Game 6 may haunt Philadelphia fans for years to come. Star center Joel Embiid was left in the game long after it was decided and sustained an orbital injury that will keep him out of Games 1 and 2 against Miami.
The Miami Heat, who eliminated Atlanta with little problem in the first round, will want to take advantage of not having to play against Philadelphia’s top center. Determining how to bet on NBA is difficult in these instances. The Heat should coast, but will the 76ers be able to pull things together?
Last games records
Philadelphia beat Toronto 132-97 April 28 in Toronto to win its first-round series 4-2. Miami squeaked by Atlanta 97-94 April 26 in Miami to close out its first-round series 4-1.
Matchup information
76ers at Heat Betting Analysis
Philadelphia Betting Analysis
The 76ers’ record of success without Embiid in the regular season was murky. Philadelphia was 6-8 without the service of Embiid, who was averaging 26.2 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game in the playoffs. Philadelphia will now have to lean on star guard James Harden.
While Harden still compiles a strong amount of statistics, he isn’t quite the dominant scorer he used to be. Haden, who averaged 19.0 points and 10.2 assists per game against Toronto, shot 38.2 percent from the 3-point line and made 2.2 treys per game in the first-round series. Betting stats NBA showed Tyrone Maxey, who averaged 21.3 points per game, had stepped into the role as one of the 76ers’ top scoring options in the first round.
Tobias Harris, who averaged 17.8 points per game in the first round, NBA betting odds also expect Harris to help pick up the slack for Philadelphia.
Miami Betting Analysis
The Heat showed how diverse their attack is when they closed out the Hawks in the first round. While Game 5 wasn’t pretty, Miami found a way to hold Atlanta under 100 points and close out the Hawks without Jimmy Butler.
The Heat patched things together effectively in the first round. Butler led the team in scoring, averaging 30.5 points per game in the four games he played. Victor Oladipo also returned to the fold for the Heat and contributed 14.5 points per game, while shooting guard Max Struss averages 14.0 per game.
Miami will need more from its bench if it wants to make a serious run at the title. Duncan Robinson shot 52.8 percent from the 3-point line, but only averaged 7.0 points per game against Atlanta. The Heat will want to see Robinson take more shots from the field.
Updates
Embiid will miss Games 1 and 2 with an orbital injury. Philadelphia hopes Embiid will be able to return for Game 3. Small forward Caleb Martin, power forward Markieff Morris, small forward Jimmy Butler, power forward PJ Tucker and shooting guard Max Strus are all questionable for Game 1.
- Philadelphia is 42-45-1 against the spread.
- Miami is 49-37-1 against the spread.
- The over has gone 41-45-2 in the 76ers’ games.
- The over has gone 48-38-1 in the Heat’s games.
- Philadelphia is 25-29 against the spread following a win.
- Miami is 29-27 against the spread following a win.
76ers at Heat Betting Preview
Betting stats NBA have Miami as a 7.5-point favorite. The Heat are -335 on the moneyline, while the 76ers are +260. Anyone looking to make a different kind of NBA picks can bet on the over/under, which is set at 208.5 points.
76ers at Heat Betting Prediction
The 76ers found through dysfunction and a declining performance to bury Toronto in the first round. However, Philadelphia put itself at a major disadvantage by allowing its star center to get hurt. While Miami has a lot of players that are dinged up, the Heat’s defensive prowess never left them in the first round, no matter who was in the lineup.
Miami was successful in slowing down Trae Young and the Hawks, who were among the NBA’s best 3-point shooting teams. While Philadelphia did shoot well in its first-round series, the 76ers’ offense will be different without Embiid down low. The Heat will smother Philadelphia in the opener and score a double-digit win to establish its dominance. The 76ers will need Harden to revert to his old form when it comes to scoring, a side he hasn’t showed thus far in the postseason.
How to bet on 76ers at Heat
Bet Miami -7.5.
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