The Brooklyn Nets (45-37) will begin a best-of-7 series against the Philadelphia 76ers (54-28) in the 1st round of the NBA playoffs Saturday at Wells Fargo Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET (ESPN). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Nets vs. 76ers odds, and make our expert NBA picks and predictions.
The Nets concluded the regular season as the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference despite dealing F Kevin Durant and G Kyrie Irving away at the trade deadline. Brooklyn registered a 6-3 record in its final 9 games of the regular season.
The 76ers finished as the No. 3 seed in the East with C Joel Embiid and G James Harden leading the way. Embiid led the NBA with 33.1 points per game (PPG) and is a candidate to win his 1st NBA MVP award. Harden scored 21.0 PPG and led the NBA with 10.7 assists per game.
The Nets and the 76ers met 4 times during the season with Philadelphia winning all 4. Three of the matchups were decided by 9 points or fewer.
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Nets at 76ers odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 4:02 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Nets +275 (bet $100 to win $275) | 76ers -350 (bet $350 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Nets +8.5 (-110) | 76ers -8.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 214.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Nets at 76ers key injuries
Nets
- G Ben Simmons (back) out
76ers
- None
For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report.
Nets at 76ers picks and predictions
Prediction
76ers 116, Nets 106
Moneyline
AVOID.
The 76ers are heavily favored to win the 1st game of the series and the entire series, but taking them straight up Saturday isn’t worth the risk at the current odds (-350).
Against the spread
PHILADELPHIA -8.5 (-110) is the lean in this 1st-round matchup with the 76ers looking to set the tone at home. Brooklyn won’t have an answer for Embiid, and Philadelphia will need to make quick work of the Nets to prepare for its next postseason opponent.
Plus, the 76ers are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games playing on 3 or more days of rest.
Over/Under
We typically see teams slow the game down in the playoffs, but I’ll side with OVER 214.5 (-110) with this being such a low total. Embiid should score plenty of points himself and G/F Mikal Bridges has been a reliable scorer for the Nets since arriving via the Durant trade.
The Nets and the 76ers were both top 15 in offensive rating in the final 15 games of the season.
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