Nets vs 76ers Odds
| Nets Odds | +6 |
| 76ers Odds | -6 |
| Over/Under | 228 |
| Time | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
| Odds via FanDuel. Get up-to-the-minute NBA odds here. | |
The Brooklyn Nets look to extend their road-trip winning streak to three games in Philadelphia tonight.
The 76ers have had three days to recover from their Eagles hangovers, so fatigue shouldn’t be an issue.
Let’s break down how to bet Wednesday’s matchup between division rivals.
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Brooklyn Nets
The Nets have quickly flipped the narrative that they were cooked without Kevin Durant on its head, winning two consecutive road games against the Jazz and Warriors.
Both wins were extremely impressive, as the Nets rallied from massive deficits to upset two fully-healthy and competent Western Conference teams.
Kyrie Irving was particularly vital to each win, averaging 43.0 points, 7.5 assists and 9.0 rebounds while shooting an efficient 58.8% from the field. Irving has quickly and loudly countered the narrative that he can’t win without Durant.
Kyrie Irving vs. De’Anthony Melton
The question is: Will Irving stay hot in a tougher defensive matchup with the 76ers?
The 76ers guard tandem of Tyrese Maxey and James Harden can be picked-on defensively — but the same cannot be said for starter De’Anthony Melton.
Melton has quietly been one of the best free agent signings of the offseason. He has made a massive impact via his 3-point shooting and defense. Melton will almost certainly draw the assignment on Irving, and I expect Irving to struggle to maintain his high efficiency from the prior two games.
Irving will still get his due to his usage rate, but don’t expect a 48-point game from Irving in this spot. Furthermore, Philadelphia is the sixth-slowest NBA team in terms of pace.
Brooklyn will need players like T.J. Warren, Ben Simmons and Seth Curry to step up in order to keep pace with Philadelphia.
Defensive Mismatch: Philadelphia’s Size
On the defensive end, I expect Brooklyn to struggle with Philadelphia’s size.
Nic Claxton has been amazing — but behind him, the Nets are sorely lacking in terms of quality rim-protectors. That is a huge problem when facing this Embiid- & Harden-led 76ers team, especially since foul trouble may be an issue at some point for Claxton.
The 76ers are masters at baiting referees into foul calls, and it shows in their offensive metrics: Philadelphia ranks fifth in free-throw rate. Even if Claxton manages to stay out of foul trouble, he may struggle to contain Embiid, who outweighs Claxton by nearly 70 pounds.
Embiid should have no issues scoring, drawing fouls nor forcing double-teams all night long.
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Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers have won 18 of 22 games since Dec. 9 and now rank fifth in the NBA in Net Rating.
Much of the 76ers’ success has been discounted due to schedule difficulty. Philadelphia has played the fourth-easiest schedule in the NBA this season.
However, during Philadelphia’s last 22 games, it has only played against four teams that rank top-10 in Adjusted Net Rating. Two of those games came against the Kings and the other two were against the Pelicans. The 76ers went 3-1 in those contests.
Their most recent win against the Kings was especially impressive, because they were without James Harden and Joel Embiid.
Wednesday’s opponent — the fifth-ranked Brooklyn Nets — will be Philly’s toughest on-paper opponent in nearly two months. However, the Nets are not really a top-five team without Kevin Durant.
Earlier, I discussed how the 76ers should dominate with Embiid down low — but I also think that Tobias Harris and Montrezl Harrell can be successful.
Harrell is an effective offensive rebounder and should be able to impose himself down-low against Brooklyn’s second unit. The Nets rank 27th in defensive rebound rate, so I expect Harrell to generate a few second chances with the bench unit.
Additionally, James Harden and Maxey should have their way with a fairly weak Nets perimeter defense.
Nets vs 76ers Pick
If Joel Embiid is Cleared to Play
Monitor Nets vs. 76ers odds via our NBA Live Odds page throughout the day.
Joel Embiid is currently questionable to play with a foot injury — but if he is ruled in, then the 76ers will dominate on the offensive end of the floor.
I would consider playing the over on the 76ers team total at 117.5 if Embiid plays.
If Joel Embiid is Ruled Out Due to Injury
If Embiid is ultimately ruled out, then I would pivot to the Nets moneyline at prices north of +140.
Embiid’s absence would largely eliminate the edge that I project for the 76ers down low. Moreover, the Nets have the depth to compete and win against the 76ers bench unit.
Monitor Embiid’s status throughout the day; his availability is key to betting this Atlantic Division battle.
Picks: 76ers team total over 117.5 / Nets ML +166 (if Embiid is ruled out)
Pick: Nets ML +140 or better |
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