The NBA Playoffs are in full swing as we hit the Eastern Conference for our continued coverage of the 1st Round matchups. The 3-seed Philadelphia 76ers will host the 6-seed Brooklyn Nets for Game 2 of their Playoffs series. The 76ers won Game 1 by 20 points and will look for another beatdown. Check out our NBA odds series for our Nets-76ers prediction and pick.
The Philadelphia 76ers will once again be entering this playoff game as 10-point home favorites, a margin they handily covered in Game 1. Philadelphia swept their regular season series with Brooklyn 4-0 and won by a combined total of 45 points. James Harden and Joel Embiid both turned in solid scoring nights as the 76ers were efficient on both ends of the floor. They’ll have a ton of confidence heading to this Game 2 staying unbeaten against the Nets.
The Brooklyn Nets will need to steal one of these road games from the 76ers if they want to have a chance in this series. They kept Game 1 close while working with a 10-point spread, but failed to close strong as the 76ers pulled away to a big lead. They have yet to beat the 76ers this season and can’t find answers for Joel Embiid. Winning this game would be a huge boost when the series heads to Brooklyn.
Here are the Nets-76ers NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Nets-76ers Odds
Brooklyn Nets: +10 (-110)
Philadelphia 76ers: -10 (-110)
Over: 214 (-110)
Under: 214 (-110)
How To Watch Nets vs. 76ers
TV: TNT
Stream: TNT App, NBA League Pass, fuboTV
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET/ 4:30 p.m. PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Nets Could Cover The Spread
In their Game 1 loss to Philadelphia, the Nets actually managed to shoot 55% from the field compared to Philly’s 47%. The Nets also hung in on the boards and contended with a more physical 76ers team. The story, however, was the turnover margin and the late-game mistakes for the Nets. They managed to keep the game close for most of the first half as Mikal Bridges led the way with his scoring. After cutting it to a seven point deficit towards the end of the third quarter, the Nets made a number of costly mistakes that resulted in a 76ers scoring run. From there, the Nets didn’t have a chance to cover the spread.
Getting out to a lead would be huge for the Nets as they’re capable of scoring with the 76ers. If the Nets can cut down on their turnovers (20 in Game 1) and be smart with the basketball, they should have a chance to cover the spread. They’ve covered +10 in three of their five meetings with the 76ers. Mikal Bridges will once again try to lift them to a win as he looks for support from players like Spencer Dinwiddie and Cam Johnson. Nic Claxton has been huge for them on the glass, but it’ll take a team-rebounding effort from the Nets to take down the 76ers.
Why The 76ers Could Cover The Spread
The 76ers have a ton of confidence in knowing they still have yet to lose to Brooklyn this season. The 76ers match up very well against the Nets and have an advantage with Joel Embiid down low against the young bigs of Brooklyn. Embiid is bound to have a good night on both ends of the floor and will have a huge boost if James Harden or Tobias Harris can get going. Embiid, Harris, and Harden combined for 70 of the team’s 121-point total in Game 1. James Harden really shined with his passing game as well, leading the game totals with 13 assists. It seems as though Harden is realizing his role alongside his MVP-finalist teammate and once again becoming a dangerous passer. If Harden continues to put up point/assist double-doubles, it’s hard to envision the Nets winning a game this series.
The 76ers can cover if they rely on their defense once again and force the Nets into turning the ball over. The 76ers should look to be more aggressive on the glass as they’ve out-rebounded the Nets in all but one of their five meetings this season . They’ve had an easy time covering a 10-point spread in their last two games with the Nets, but will have to be continually careful of not letting the Nets hang around for too deep into the game. Look for Joel Embiid to be dominant on the glass in this one.
Final Nets-76ers Prediction & Pick
The odds makers have made this spread exactly the same as in Game 1, which may be telling that the Nets will do a better job of keeping this game closer in the final minutes. Philadelphia is the clear pick to win the game; until they actually lose a game to the Nets, it wouldn’t be smart to bet against them. Until the Nets can show that they can be resilient on the road in Philly, we’ll have to keep backing the 76ers. Let’s take the over, too, as it seems low based on the previous meetings.
Final Nets-76ers Prediction & Pick: Philadelphia 76ers -10 (-110); OVER 214 (-110)
The post NBA Playoffs Odds: Nets vs. 76ers Game 2 prediction, pick, how to watch – 4/17/2023 appeared first on ClutchPoints.
