Brooklyn Faces Heavily Favored 76ers In First Round | Nets vs 76ers | OSB
Brooklyn Nets at Philadelphia 76ers: Game 1
By Sam Batz
The NBA Playoffs kick off on Saturday, April 15th with the No. 6 seed Brooklyn Nets taking on the No. 3 seed Philadelphia 76ers in Game 1 of the First Round (1:00 PM EST, ESPN/ESPN 2). The Sixers are -8.5 points favorites with a moneyline priced at -350. The Nets are +8.5 point underdogs, their moneyline is set at +280, and are not expected to beat the Sixers in Game 1 on Saturday. Philly has the 6th-best odds (+1000) to win it all this year, while Brooklyn isn’t even expected to make it past the First Round. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a 76ers sweep in this series.
The Brooklyn Nets (+280)
The Nets finished the regular season with a record of 45-37 (54.9%), securing the No. 6 seed, and making it to the playoffs for the 5th-consecutive season (2019-2023). Brooklyn went through a massive transformation this season after trading away their two best players at the time, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. It was a questionable move at the time, but the Nets still made the playoffs and gained several reliable players, along with a handful of top-draft picks, in the process. But the changing of the guard was just a first-step for Brooklyn, who can be proud to have made the playoffs, but aren’t ready to take down a juggernaut like the 76ers. The Nets went 0-4 against Philly in the regular season and I anticipate this series to follow a similar pattern.
The Philadelphia 76ers (-350)
The Sixer are the No. 3 seed in the East after going 54-28 (65.9%) in the regular season. It’s the 6th-straight season (2018-2023) with Philadelphia in the playoffs, and in the previous 5 postseason campaigns, the Sixers made it past the First Round 4 out of the 5 years. Philly never lost to Brooklyn this season (4-0), and in their season-finale, the Sixers torched the Nets 134-105. It was a preview of what’s in store for Brooklyn as I predict the Sixers will roll through them in the First Round with ease. Philly is led by arguably the best player in the NBA right now (see Philly’s Game Changers below), but they also have the depth, experience, and stamina needed to make a deep run this postseason.
Nets vs. 76ers Odds
Team | Current Spread | Current Total | Opening Moneyline |
Brooklyn Nets | +8.5 (-110) | Ov 214.5 (-110) | +280 |
Philadelphia 76ers | -8.5 (-110) | Un 214.5 (-110) | -350 |
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Nets vs. 76ers: Regular Season Stats
Brooklyn Nets (45-37) 113.4 (20th) 112.5 (10th) 48.7 (T-6th) 37.8 (5th) 114.6 (12th) 113.5 (T-15th) 23-18 (56.1%) 22-19 (53.7%) | Stat Type Points/Game Opponent Points/Game Field Goal % Three-Point % Offensive Rating Defensive Rating Home Record (Win-Rate) Away Record (Win-Rate) | Philadelphia 76ers (54-28) 115.2 (14th) 110.9 (3rd) 48.7 (T-6th) 38.7 (1st) 117.0 (T-3rd) 112.7 (8th) 29-12 (70.7%) 25-16 (60.9%) |
Nets vs. 76ers: Betting Trends
Brooklyn Nets 43-39 23-18 (Away) 27-25 (vs. East) 37-44-1 5-5 14-24 (as Underdogs) 11-13 (Underdogs Away) | Betting Trend ATS (Season) ATS (Home/Away) ATS (Conference) O/U (Season) O/U (Last 10) ML (Favorite/Underdog) ML (Home/Away) | Philadelphia 76ers 46-34-1 24-16-1 (Home) 27-23-1 (vs. East) 45-37 5-5 41-15 (as Favorites) 26-10 (Favorites Home) |
Nets vs. 76ers: Game Changers
Brooklyn Nets
- Cam Thomas can go off when the Nets need it. Thomas has 4 40+ games this season, with 3 of them coming right after the other. He put up 46 against the Sixers in the season-finale
- Mikal Bridges joined the Nets from the Suns in the KD trade. Bridges averages a team high 26.1 points per game and went 12-15 since joining Brooklyn
- Nic Claxton leads the Nets with 9.2 rebounds per game, but has the unfortunate task of guarding, and being guarded by, Joel Emiid
Philadelphia 76ers
- Joel Embiid is the best player in the NBA right now. He is the top-candidate for MVP and leads the Sixers with 33.1 points (1st), 10.2 rebounds (8th), and 4.2 assists (51st) per game
- James Harden and Tyrese Maxey each average 20+ points per game for the Sixers. Harden leads the team with 10.7 assists (1st) per game
Nets vs. 76ers Prediction
Take the Philadelphia 76ers to win Game 1. In fact, you could probably take the Sixers in every game this series. Brooklyn will do their best to avoid being swept, but the odds are not in their favor, especially since they were swept by Philly in the regular season. The Nets know they don’t have the personnel needed to compete with the Sixers, and while they may pull off 1 or 2 wins, Philadelphia will win the series. The Sixers won over 70% of their games at home this season, and as favorites to potentially win the whole thing, Philadelphia won’t want to disappoint their fans on the first day.
Prediction: Philadelphia 76ers Moneyline (-350)
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