The Philadelphia 76ers’ long run of dominance is over, as their 17-game winning streak was snapped last time out. More importantly for the Miami Heat, a win last time out helped them knot the series up at one apiece.
These teams will head to Miami for a pivotal Game 3 matchup. The 76ers are the favorites to win the series, but a home win by the Heat next time out would give them a real shot at upsetting Philadelphia in the first round. Many series thus far have not been super competitive but these two teams are good matches for each other.
The 76ers are the superior team but the Heat have home court, which should make this contest an intriguing one to watch in NBA basketball betting.
Game 3 of this NBA Playoff Series is on Thursday, April 19 2018 at 7 p.m. ET at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. The contest will be nationally televised on TNT.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for every game of the 2018 NBA Playoffs.
Odds Analysis
The 76ers are listed as small two-point favorites in Game 3. The vast majority of the money is on Philadelphia, with nearly 84 percent of the action on the 76ers to cover the spread.
The scoring total is listed at 216 points as this one should have plenty of scoring. The “under” is the more popular choice by the betting public.
Philadelphia is a -135 favorite on the moneyline, while the Heat is the +115 underdog. The majority of the money is on the 76ers to win this game straight up, as most people believe they will bounceback in Game 3.
Last Time Out
The teams split the victories in Philadelphia with the Sixers taking Game 1 easily, 130-103, but Miami coming back to steal the second matchup, 113-103. The Game 2 win for Miami was propelled by a stellar performance from Dwayne Wade off the bench.
Wade, a three-time NBA champion, finished the night with 28 points and seven rebounds, going 11-for-16 from the field. Philadelphia, who is still without All-Star center Joel Embiid, was down by 11 points heading into the final quarter and managed to come back and make it a two-point game before Wade and the Heat ignited on a final run that helped them put this one away.
The Heat will return home with momentum on their side for Game 3 after breaking Philadelphia’s 17-game winning streak. The 76ers were led by Ben Simmons and Dario Saric, who combined for 47 points in the loss.
Injury Report
Embiid complained on social media about being brought along slowly after suffering an orbital fracture and concussion in the regular season. The talented center clearly feels like he should be on the court for Game 3, but it is unknown if that will happen.
Embiid would be a huge addition, as he is a double-double machine and also a fantastic defender. Simmons and the rest of the crew have enough to knock off Miami on the road, but if Embiid can return that would make Philadelphia even more of a favorite.
Keep a close eye on his availability as a possible return of Embiid would be a huge boost for the 76ers.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The 76ers hit a hurdle in Game 2, but don’t expect them to get too tight in this one. Philadelphia should come out confident and knock off the 76ers despite playing on the road. Take Philadelphia as the easy choice against the spread, as it is silly to choose the moneyline on such a low spread.
The 76ers will cover in addition to winning this game, with or without Embiid on the court. The “under” is the choice as Miami is going to struggle to score in this one in NBA basketball gambling.
NBA ATS Pick: 76ers 107, Heat 103
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