The Eastern Conference semifinals continue Wednesday with the Miami Heat hosting the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 2 of the best-of-7 series. The Heat won Game 1 easily and look to take a 2-0 lead over the shorthanded Sixers. Tip-off from FTX Arena is 7:30 p.m. ET (TNT). Below, we look at the 76ers vs. Heat odds and lines, and make our expert NBA picks, predictions and bets.
The Heat cruised to a 106-92 win in Monday’s game, outscoring the Sixers 56-41 in the final 2 quarters. SG Tyler Herro (25 points) and C Bam Adebayo (24) led the way while SF Jimmy Butler scored 15 points with 9 rebounds and 3 assists. Adebayo had the only double-double of the night with 12 rebounds to go with his 24 points.
The Sixers are playing without C Joel Embiid, who suffered a facial fracture in the first round and is out indefinitely. G James Harden struggled in Game 1, shooting just 5 of 13 from the field with 16 points and 9 rebounds. SF Tobias Harris did his best to carry the offense with 27 points on 11-of-18 shooting.
76ers at Heat odds and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 10:24 a.m. ET.
- Money line: 76ers +320 (bet $100 to win $320) | Heat -420 (bet $420 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): 76ers +8.5 (-120) | Heat -8.5 (-105)
- Over/Under (O/U): 207.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
76ers at Heat key injuries
76ers
- C Joel Embiid (facial fracture) out
Heat
- SG Tyler Herro (ankle) questionable
- PG Kyle Lowry (hamstring) out
- SF P.J. Tucker (calf) questionable
- SF Caleb Martin (ankle) questionable
- G Max Strus (hamstring) questionable
- SG Gabe Vincent (knee) questionable
[tipico]
76ers at Heat picks and predictions
Prediction
Heat 110, 76ers 99
Money line
The Sixers are in a terrible spot without Embiid, which allows the Heat’s swarming defense to focus on Harden. That worked to perfection in Game 1 with Harden only scoring 16 points and the 76ers making only 6 of 34 shots from 3-point range.
I think the Heat will take a similar approach and the Sixers won’t be able to adapt enough to win this one. I like the Heat to win, but it’s not worth wagering on the money line (-420). PASS.
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Against the spread
The Heat were favored by 7.5 points in Game 1 and covered that spread by beating Philadelphia by 14 points. They’re favored by even more in Game 2, despite Miami’s injury questions heading into this matchup.
Butler doesn’t seem to be in any danger of missing Game 2, and as long as he has Herro, Strus or both, the Heat will be in good shape. Bet the HEAT -8.5 (-120) to cover the spread at home, where they’re 24-21 ATS this season. The Sixers are simply too shorthanded to keep this one close.
Over/Under
The Over/Under is 1 point lower in this one than it was in Game 1. The total went Under in the first game with a total score of 198 points, a low-scoring game without Embiid.
I think there will be more points scored in this one after the 76ers shot horrifically from 3-point land in Game 1, which is why I like the OVER 207.5 (-110). Philadelphia should have a better night shooting from deep, and it will need to if it wants to have a chance to win on the road.
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