76ers vs Heat Odds, Lines & Picks (Mar. 1)
Fresh off their battle on Monday night, the Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat are meeting once more on Wednesday night at 7:30 PM ET. An early preview of the what the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs could look like, the Sixers are trying to bounce-back after narrowly losing to Miami on Monday, while the Heat are looking to keep climbing the standings.
According to the latest NBA odds from BetMGM Sportsbook, Joel Embiid and the Sixers are the slight favorites for tonight’s game despite their loss earlier in the week.
76ers vs Heat Odds
As of Wednesday morning, the Philadelphia 76ers are the slight 1.5-point road favorites with their moneyline at -135.
With the line this close, tonight’s game is essentially being viewed as a coin toss, which makes sense considering Monday’s night’s score finished at 101-99.Odds as of February 27 at BetMGMSportsbook.
76ers vs Heat Betting Analysis
The 76ers and Heat have only met once this season, and it was Jimmy Butler and company who managed to pull out the win. Butler led the way with a near triple double, scoring 23 with 11 rebounds and 9 assists. On the flip side, Joel Embiid dropped 27 points and 12 rebounds and James Harden chipped in an additional 20 points and 12 assists.
The Heat shot exceptionally well from beyond the arc (40.5%), while the 76ers only shot 37%. Philly also had some turnover issues, turning the ball over 18 times compared to Miami’s 12.
Up to this point in the season, Philadelphia has unquestionably been the better team. Joel Embiid is firmly in the mix for the MVP conversation and James Harden has reinvented himself as an elite ball distributor. However, Miami is constructed in a way that can be prove to be very pesty to the “top 3” in the Eastern Conference. Bam Adebayo is an elite defender down low while Butler is able to handle the perimeter.
Despite the 76ers being seven game ahead of the Heat in the standings, it’s not super surprising to see the betting line as close as it is, especially after Miami won on Monday. The Sixers are also on a two-game losing streak, including a loss to the Boston Celtics on Saturday night.
76ers vs Heat Betting Prediction
By all accounts and measures, Joel Embiid’s 27 and 12 game against Miami on Monday was a great performance. However, to Embiid’s standards, he’s probably feeling like he could have done a little more.
Embiid is averaging 33 points per game this season and has dropped 35+ against several of the best teams in the NBA this season. Hot of back-to-back frustrating losses, one can only assume he’s looking to come into Miami and do some extra damage this evening.
The Sixers are still one of the three best teams in the east and this losing streak needs to end eventually — expect Philadelphia to take care of business on the road tonight.
Pick: Philadelphia 76ers -1.5 (-115)
