NBA: Philadelphia 76ers vs. Brooklyn Nets Preview, Odds, Prediction

The Philadelphia 76ers have to play less than 20 hours since finishing the previous game, only this time, they travel to Brooklyn to meet the new Nets. We are safe to say that the franchise from Barclays Center isn’t the title favorite anymore, with KD and Kyrie out of the picture. Yes, they have a respectable roster, but overall, they aren’t an elite unit anymore. On the other side, Philly is, and their path toward the NBA finals is even easier now with one rival out of the picture. Though, the hosts will try to deny that tonight. 

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Preview

Philadelphia 76ers (35-19, -135) lost two in a row, both on the road, before beating the New York Knicks last night. That one occurred at the Wells Fargo Center in the City of Brotherly Love, and the hosts triumphed 119-108. 

One of the top favorites for winning the NBA MVP award, Joel Embiid, had a very good night, with 35 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, missing only four of his 18 shots from the field. James Harden also added a double-double with 20 points and 12 dimes, adding eight boards.

Still, the X-factor here was Tyrese Maxey, who came off the bench to pour 27 buckets, five threes and was unstoppable in his 33 minutes on the floor. It seems that he perfectly adapted to the role of the sixth player and the leader of the second unit. 

Brooklyn Nets (33-22, +120) will play their fifth consecutive home game, and after the past four, their record is 2-2. So a win here would be great for their playoff ambitions and the overall morale of the crew. 

There was one game following all the trades, and the Nets beat the Chicago Bulls, 116-105, with Spencer Dinwiddie performing superbly on his return “home.” The veteran guard ended the night with a team-high 25 points, six assists, and five boards.

The new NBA star, Cam Thomas, would score 20 buckets, though with a terrible shooting percentage, 3-for-16, and only one hit three in six attempts. Joe Harris had 18 points off the bench, all behind the three-point line, making six shots in nine tries. The Nets were defending the arc very well, and the guests made only five downtown shots of 26.

Head to Head Games

These franchises are in the same division and have met twice this year. The first encounter was in November, and the Sixers won 115-106. After that, they faced in late January, and again, Philly defeated the rival 137-133. Both events took place at the Wells Fargo Center.

Prediction

The Nets won the previous game against the Bulls mostly because of the guests’ incredibly poor three-point shooting performance. That’s why we believe the Nets aren’t as strong as many think, and they will need more time to build themselves following those two mega trades. Meanwhile, Philly is on another level, especially Embiid, and even though this is a back-to-back game, they should post another victory. The odds are very good, and given the fact that the cover on the Sixers is -2.5 right now, we will take it.

Pick: Sixers -2.5 -110