Nets vs. 76ers: 2023 NBA Playoffs Series Odds, Picks & Predictions

by BettingPros Staff |
Apr 15, 2023

Here's an interesting first-round playoff series. Maybe not interesting in a "this could be a barnburner" sort of way â€” the third-seeded 76ers are -900 favorites on DraftKings to win the series â€” but interesting in that James Harden was supposed to been one of the cornerstones of a Nets superteam, but then Harden forced his way out of Brooklyn, and he'll now face a Nets organization that burned down the superteam to start anew.

But this series is about more than James Harden. Let's take a closer look.

Philadelphia 76ers Overview/Playoff Outlook

Joel Embiid has been nothing short of fabulous this year. The Sixers center is a mortal lock to win the MVP award, having averaged 33.1 points per game, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 blocks, while shooting 54.8% from the floor and 85.7% from the line. The question is whether Embiid can finally lead the 76ers on a deep playoff run. The Sixers are 4-5 in playoff series with Embiid and have never made it as far as the Conference Finals with him. Harden is 33 now but remains a dangerous scorer/distributor who averaged 21.0 points and a league-high 10.7 assists per game this season. Guard Tyrese Maxey averaged 20.3 points per game, and the 76ers' supporting cast also features solid forward Tobias Harris and defensive ace P.J. Tucker. The 76ers opened the season 12-12 but have gone 42-16 since a Dec. 9 overtime victory over the Lakers that launched an eight-game winning streak. Philly's offense has been humming. Since the All-Star break, the 76ers have ranked third in offensive rating (120.1) and first in true shooting percentage (62%). This series is supposed to be a warm-up for the Sixers in advanced of a probable second-round matchup against the Celtics.

Brooklyn Nets Overview/Playoff Outlook

The Nets traded Harden to the 76ers last year in exchange for a package featuring Ben Simmons. (Simmons won't play in this series due to a back problem.) Just before the NBA's Feb. 9 trade deadline, the Nets dealt Kevin Durant to the Suns and Kyrie Irving to the Mavericks. Brooklyn has gone 13-15 since the trade deadline but has won five of its last seven games. Mikal Bridges has averaged 26.1 points per game for the Nets since coming over from Phoenix in the Durant trade. Another ex-Sun, Camneron Johnson, has averaged 16.6 points per game since arriving in Brooklyn. Spencer Dinwiddie, who came from Dallas in the Kyrie deal, has averaged 16.5 points and 9.1 assists per game for Brooklyn. But the Nets' key player in this series might be center Nic Claxton, who'll be tasked with trying to prevent Embiid from wreaking havoc. Good luck with that, Nic. The Nets don't have another decent big man behind Claxton, and that could be a big problem with the way Embiid draws fouls â€” he averaged 11.7 FT attempts per game this season.

Season Series

The 76ers went 4-0 against the Nets during the regular season, but there isn't much to be gleaned from Philly's season sweep. In the first two games, the Nets still had Durant and Irving. The third meeting came two days after the trade deadline and was the first game that Bridges and Johnson played for the Nets. The 76ers prevailed 101-98 in Brooklyn. And the 76ers crushed the Nets 134-105 in both teams' regular-season finale, with both teams resting their starters for most of the games.

Series Prediction

76ers in five games. The new-look Nets just don't have enough firepower to keep up with the Sixers. Brooklyn will win one of its home games, but this series is destined to be a short one.

Best Bets

Series correct score: 76ers win 4-1 (+210 via DraftKings): As mentioned above, I think the Nets will win one of their home games, and that's it.

Mikal Bridges under 26.5 points per game in the playoffs (-110 via DraftKings): Bridges has been the focal point of the Nets' offense since the Durant trade, but the 76ers are likely to put P.J. Tucker on him for much of this series, and Tucker is an absolute nuisance on defense. He'll run Bridges ragged.

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