The Eastern Conference leading Brooklyn Nets (20-8) host the Philadelphia 76ers (15-14) on Thursday. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 P.M. EST at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Brooklyn narrowly escaped with a 131-129 win against the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday. The Nets have now won seven of their past ten games.
On the other hand, Philadelphia has dropped two consecutive games including a recent 101-96 loss against Miami at home. The Sixers enter Thursday sitting in seventh place in the East.
76ers at Nets Betting Analysis
On the 76ers side
Typically, the Sixers losing to the Heat would be a respectable loss. However, Miami was without Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro. Granted, they likely did not foresee Duncan Robinson and Gabe Vincent combining for 47 points.
The concerning issue was that the Sixers had all of their stars in the lineup, except for Ben Simmons for obvious reasons.
Joel Embiid was limited to 17 points, but the superstar big man did grab 14 rebounds. Tyrese Maxey scored 27 points while dishing out 5 assists, and Tobias Harris added 24 points in the narrow defeat.
It is certainly concerning that the 76ers could not beat Miami even without three of the Heat’s best players in the lineup.
The fact is that the 76ers need more production beyond Embiid, Harris, and Maxey. They need Seth Curry, Danny Green, and others to step up and make an impact. Curry and Green will see their share of open shots since the majority of the defensive pressure will be inside the post in an effort to contain Embiid.
This will be even more important against the best team in the East on Thursday.
On the Nets side
A short-handed Brooklyn team almost dropped their last game to the underwhelming Raptors. The team was without James Harden, Bruce Brown, LaMarcus Aldridge and others due to health and safety protocols.
So let’s talk about what makes the Nets so good for a second.
In a game where James Harden is out and you obviously don’t have Kyrie Irving, one might expect Kevin Durant to have to score 50 points to give Brooklyn a chance to win. But the Nets have proven they are more than pure star-power. They have some of the best depth in the NBA.
Kevin Durant did get a triple-double with 34 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists.
But Patty Mills scored 30 in the win, David Duke Jr. earned a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds, and Kessler Edwards Jr. added 17 and 10 off the bench.
Even Blake Griffin got involved in the action with a 13/5/6 line.
Brooklyn has players that can help out the team beyond their stars. It is one of the main qualities that makes them so intimidating.
Their ability to share the ball is another huge reason for their success. The Nets rank fifth in the NBA in assists per game. Because of this, it is no secret that they are shooting at a very efficient 46.6 percent from the field which is good for fifth in the league.
76ers at Nets Prediction
The majority of top sportsbooks have this one coming down to the wire. However, Brooklyn seems to be the consensus favorite by about 1.5 points.
Even with Harden and others still inactive, I am rolling with the Nets to earn the victory at home on Thursday.
Take the Brooklyn Nets -1.5.
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