Miami Heat vs Philadelphia 76ers Odds
The Philadelphia 76ers (39-20 SU, 35-24 ATS) welcome the Miami Heat (32-29, 21-37-3) to Wells Fargo Center on Monday as the visitors look to snap a four-game losing skid.
Philadelphia opened as the sizable 6.5-point favorite at home with the total set at just 216 points in a clash between two of the best defensive teams in the league. The Sixers have had a huge advantage against the Heat at home, winning 13 of their last 17 matchups at Wells Fargo Center, while the UNDER is 8-3 in their last 11 meetings.
Latest Betting Notes: Heat
The Heat suffered their fourth straight defeat on Saturday, falling 108-103 to the lowly Charlotte Hornets. Tyler Herro had a dominant performance with 33 points and Jimmy Butler scored 28 but no one else had more than 14 for Miami in the loss.
Offense hasn’t been a strong point this season for the Heat, who rank dead last in the NBA with just 108.1 points per game, but the scoring has somehow dried up even more during this four-game slide. Miami is averaging a mere 103.8 points in its last four and to make matters worse, Herro is listed as questionable for Monday with a rib contusion.
Latest Betting Notes: 76ers
The 76ers had their five-game win streak come to a halt on Saturday as they lost 110-107 to the Boston Celtics. Joel Embiid, who scored a game-high 41 points, nearly tied the game up on a 70-footer but it was just a tick too late. James Harden added 21 points for Philly in the loss.
While Embiid put up his highest-scoring performance in nearly a month, it’s Harden who has really taken steps offensively for Philly in recent weeks. The shooting guard is scoring just under 22 points per game this season but is averaging nearly 26 points through his last five outings, highlighted by a 31-point effort two games ago.
The Keys to Victory: Heat
It goes without saying that the Heat are not the most gifted offensive team and they’ll take a huge hit in that department if Herro is unable to go Monday. The point guard is averaging a team-high 23.6 points per game this month, so a lot of pressure will be placed on Butler and Bam Adebayo if Herro isn’t there to lead the way.
Miami’s best chance at winning this matchup will be to play a tight defensive game, and that’s certainly well within range given the team’s second-ranked defense (108.6 points against per game). Embiid has scored less than 30 points in three of his last four outings, so it’s plausible that the Heat could keep the big man relatively quiet and keep this one close.
The Keys to Victory: 76ers
The Sixers should have the clear edge in this matchup, with or without Herro in the Heat lineup. Embiid has seen his scoring pace drop off a bit in February but looked like his normal self Saturday. Another 40-point game from the big man would likely be enough to sink Miami.
Even If Embiid has a more tame night and drops a mere 30 points, he’s still got plenty of capable backup in Harden, Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris, which should be enough firepower to beat the low-scoring Heat.
