Brooklyn Nets vs Philadelphia 76ers Picks and Odds Dec 30
Brooklyn Nets vs Philadelphia 76ers Predictions
WagerTalk NBA handicapper Andy Lang offers his Brooklyn Nets vs Philadelphia 76ers betting preview for Thursday, December 30. At the time of posting, the Nets have climbed to a 5.5-point home favorite over the visiting 76ers, with the total rising to 222.5 points.
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| Thurs, Dec 30 | NBA Betting Notes |
|---|---|
| Point Spread: | Brooklyn Nets -5.5 vs Philadelphia 76ers |
| Total: | 222.5 Points |
| Game Time: | 7:10pm ET / 4:10pm PT |
| Arena: | Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn |
| TV: | NBA TV |
Brooklyn Nets vs Philadelphia 76ers Analysis
The Philadelphia 76ers travel to Brooklyn for an Eastern Conference clash with the Nets at Barclay’s Center on Thursday night. The 76ers stand at 18-16 after beating the Raptors 114-109 in Toronto on Tuesday night. Meanwhile the Nets torched the Clippers 124-108 to maintain their #1 spot in the Eastern Conference with a 23-9 record. The Nets won the first two head-to-head meetings by similar scores of 114-105 and 114-109, one at home and one on the road.
The Brooklyn Nets managed to bank two convincing wins after the three games they had postponed due to Covid. Kevin Durant and LaMarcus Aldridge have both cleared Covid and are both expected to return for this game. Although you would have to wonder what kind of shape both players will be in.
James Harden has had two monstrous efforts since returning from the health and safety protocol list. Harden had a 36 point triple double against the Lakers on Saturday, followed by a 39 point, 15 assist, 8 rebound performance against the Clippers on Monday.
Obviously this Brooklyn team doesn’t have trouble scoring, but they have also improved greatly on defense. The Nets rank 5th in the league in defensive efficiency, while holding opponents to 106.6 points.
The 76ers will be out for revenge after dropping the first two games against the Nets. Both Andre Drummond and Shake Milton are questionable, as they are on the Covid protocol list. Joel Embiid has been playing like a man possessed recently. He is coming off a 36 point effort against Toronto and has scored 32 or more points in four of his last five games. He even posted a 41 point performance against the Celtics about a week ago.
For the 76ers to win tonight, they will need Tobias Harris to shoot better than 3 for 17 from the field like he did in his last game against the Nets. Philadelphia only scores 106 points a game which ranks them 22nd and they only rank 19th in defensive rating. As of the writing of this article it’s been reported that Doc Rivers has entered the leagues health and safety protocol list and assistant Dan Burke will be the acting coach for the 76ers in the interim.
Brooklyn is favored by 5.5 points tonight with the total climbing to 222.5 points. The over has cashed in 4 of the 76ers last 5 road games and 5 of the Nets last 6 overall. The over has also cashed in 6 of the last 8 head-to-head meetings between these teams. Brooklyn has averaged 122.7 points in their past 5 games and they are getting Durant and Aldridge back.
Embiid has been scoring at will and the Nets don’t have anyone to stop him. Picking a side here seems like a tall task. However, everything points to an over and Joel Embiid having a huge game. We will make those our official plays in this contest.
Official Play: OVER 222.5 Points
Official Player Prop: Joel Embiid Over 26.5 points -110
Interested in placing a bet on tonight’s Brooklyn Nets vs Philadelphia 76ers contest? BetMGM is offering a $1,000 Risk-Free Bet for first-time bettors in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana, Colorado, Tennessee, Iowa, Michigan, Virginia, Washington DC, Wyoming, Mississippi, Arizona and Louisiana.
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Brooklyn Nets vs Philadelphia 76ers Preview from GoldSheet
Retired TGS handicapper Chuck Sippl would call this a “Bob Dylan Game” (“Because something is happening here but you don’t know what it is…”). Brooklyn, which has covered the last 3 in the series and won and covered 3 of the last 4 hosting Philadelphia, owns the best record in the East at 23-9, with Philly trailing them by 6 games.
The Sixers have lost both contests against Brooklyn this season, with the Nets winning 114-109 on Oct. 22 in Philly when Kevin Durant turned in a 29-15-12 triple double, then doubling down with a 114-105 victory Dec. 16 as KD had 34 and 11 boards with 8 dimes, undoing Sixer Joel Embiid’s 32 pts and 9 rebounds and Seth Curry’s 29.
The most recent Net win was without James Harden, and the majority of Brooklyn’s Covid problems are behind them, with Net HC Steve Nash saying KD and LaMarcus Aldridge are good to go for this game, while Harden has scored 36 and 39 points with a total of 18 rebounds and 25 assists in 2 games since returning from Covid protocol. Yes, we get that Brooklyn has won more on the road than at the Barclays Center, but line seems light. …”Do you, Mr. Jones?”
NBA Stat Sheet
Each day, WagerTalk handicapper Ralph Michaels puts together his NBA Stat Sheet, which offers a head-to-head comparison for how teams are performing in a number of key areas heading into a game. Check out Thursday’s sheet, with notes on tonight’s Brooklyn Nets vs Philadelphia 76ers contest.
NBA Tip-Off Show
Join Joe Raineri and a rotating panel of guests for the NBA Tip-Off Show at 4:15pm ET / 1:15pm PT as we discuss tonight’s marquee games. Stay up-to-date on the latest NBA news, stats, analysis, and predictions with our panel of professional handicappers as they preview tonight’s NBA action, including this Brooklyn Nets vs Philadelphia 76ers clash, from a betting perspective.
WagerTalk Live Odds Screen
WagerTalk’s live odds screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the NBA point spreads, moneylines, first half lines and betting percentages for all of Thursday’s NBA games, including this Brooklyn Nets vs Philadelphia 76ers showdown, from your desktop or phone.
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