The Brooklyn Nets (14-10) stop by Wells Fargo Center Saturday for an 8 p.m. ET game against the Philadelphia 76ers (16-7). Below, we analyze the Nets-76ers NBA odds and lines, with picks and predictions.
Brooklyn played in one of the most bizarre NBA regular-season games in recent memory last night. The major story from Brooklyn’s 123-117 upset loss to the Toronto Raptors was a Kevin Durant-COVID-19 saga that had a few different acts end with KD being pulled in the third quarter for contact-tracing protocols.
The crazy thing that happened in the last 76ers’ last game was them getting crushed 121-105 by a Damian Lillard- and C.J. McCollum-less Portland Trail Blazers as 10-point home favorites. Otherwise, it’s all good in Philadelphia with the Sixers winning four of their last five games and seven of 10.
The Nets stomped the 76ers 122-109 earlier this season before Brooklyn acquired G James Harden. Durant was out because of COVID-19 and PG Kyrie Irving took a personal leave.
Nets at 76ers: Odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 1:35 p.m. ET.
- Money line: Nets +150 (bet $100 to win $150) | 76ers -180 (bet $180 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: Nets +4.5 (-115) | 76ers -4.5 (-105)
- Over/Under: 236.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
Nets at 76ers: Key injuries
Nets
- SF Kevin Durant (health and safety protocols) questionable
- PG Kyrie Irving (finger) out
76ers
- SG Seth Curry (illness) questionable
- C Joel Embiid (knee) questionable
- PG Ben Simmons (calf) probable
- PF Mike Scott (knee) out
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Nets at 76ers: Odds, lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
76ers 121, Nets 119
Money line (ML)
PASS with a slight lean on Nets (+150) because I like Brooklyn to cover the spread. Also, I’d rather use my Nets-76ers betting budget on the following markets.
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Against the spread (ATS)
As you may have gathered after reading earlier, some of these NBA regular-season outcomes are random. Sometimes you can lean on daily injury report news or positional matchups but these 3-point chuck-offs lead to weird results.
That being said, I think there’s value in backing the Nets without one or two of their Big 3 because any one of Harden, KD, or Kyrie can decimate an opponent.
While it’s bad news if KD or Kyrie is out for any extended period, Harden can hold down the fort in the short term. For instance, Harden is averaging 35.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 8.9 assists per game over his last 10 games against the 76ers.
Sure, all these stats are from Harden’s run with the Houston Rockets; however, Nets first-year head coach Steve Nash has former Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni on staff.
Finally, Brooklyn’s absences are baked into the line so just blindly betting a depleted professional basketball team could hurt the bankroll. As the 76ers have proven, they can sustain freak losses to teams without its best players.
TAKE NETS +4.5 (-115) for 1 unit.
Over/Under (O/U)
Brooklyn has gone Over the total in 10 of 11 games since acquiring Harden and while the absence of KD and/or Kyrie definitely lowers Brooklyn’s offensive ceiling, its defense definitely does not improve.
Philly is third in defensive rating but gave up 121 points Thursday vs. Portland without three starters and the Over has cashed in three consecutive 76ers’ games.
I’m on the OVER 236.5 (-115) for a three-fourth-unit.
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Also see:
- Kevin Durant reacts to NBA’s explanation of Friday fiasco (Nets Wire)
- Joel Embiid, Sixers give reactions to ‘bad loss’ to Trail Blazers at home (Sixers Wire)
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