Brooklyn Nets (33-33) at Philadelphia 76ers (40-24)
Thursday, March 10 @ Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA
How to Watch
- 7:30 ET on TNT
Betting Lines
- PHI -4.0 (Caesars, FanDuel), PHI -4.5 (BetMGM, DraftKings)
- O/U 233.5 (Caesars, FanDuel, BetMGM) O/U 233.5 (DraftKings)
- Brooklyn: 25-39-2 ATS, 18-15-1 ATS on the road, 34-31-1 O/U
- Philadelphia: 32-31 ATS, 12-19 ATS at home, 28-34-1 O/U
- Pace of play: Brooklyn is 11th; Philadelphia is 28th
Recent Play (last 10 games)
- Nets: 4-6; 111.9 PG, 41.5 RPG, 23.9 APG, 5.9 SPG, and 4.3 BPG, while shooting 46.5% from the field and allowing 116.2 points.
- 76ers: 8-2; 112.2 PPG, 41.8 RPG, 22.8 APG, 7.6 SPG, and 4.4 BPG, while shooting 45.3% from the field and allowing 107.8 points per game
Key Injuries
- Ben Simmons; BKLYN, PG: Out (Back) Simmons has yet to play this season
- Lamarcus Aldridge; BKLYN, PF: Out (Hip) Aldridge is getting an MRI and is not on the road trip
- Danny Green; PHI, SG: Out (Finger Laceration)
Matchup
We all know what the main storyline is here, the Brooklyn Nets will travel to Philadelphia to take on James Harden for the first time since he was traded by the Nets on February 10. While all players involved have publicly had nice things to say about one another and former organizations, you know there is going to be some added adrenaline going into this matchup.
Since coming over to Philadelphia, Harden has played in five games, averaging 24.6 points, 12.4 assists, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.8 turnovers per game. Over that stretch, the 76ers have been running hot and have been one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference all season, currently sitting third in the conference and only a half-game behind the Bucks for second. As a team, the 76ers love to attack the basket, ranking 28th in the NBA in three-point attempts per game but 4th in free throw attempts.
The 76ers will also be without one of their primary three-point threats in Danny Green, so expect more drives to the basket and working through Joel Embiid. That should be especially true since the Nets are 7th in the NBA in three-point percentage allowed to opposing teams. Despite the presence of Embiid, the 76ers actually average the fewest offensive rebounds of any team in the NBA, so they might not be primed to capitalize on the Nets’ 18th ranked defensive rebounding rate and lack of Lamarcus Aldridge.
When the Nets have the ball, they will look to play faster than the 76ers, especially with Kyrie Irving on the court. They are another team that doesn’t really rely on the three, ranking 25th in three-pointers attempted per game; however, they have been the more efficient offense, both on the season and over the last ten games. The points will just be harder to come by against a 76ers defense that ranks 10th in defensive efficiency and 7th in points allowed.
For more NBA betting tips like this Nets, 76ers preview, click here
Popular Player Props:
(These are the most popular props for the game as of this writing. They are not predictions or recommendations. We advise doing your own research before placing bets on any props mentioned.)
- Goran Dragic, G Brooklyn: Under 2.5 Rebounds (-155)
- Dragic has hit this number in five of his last ten and just two of his last five. With Kyrie and Durant both on the court, Dragic has been averaging 0.15 rebounds per minute and has played an average of 25 minutes per game with Kyrie and Durant both active, which would put him at 3.75 rebounds in this one. It’s an interesting prop to be getting this much action on the under.
- James Harden, G, Philadelphia: Over 5.5 Rebounds (-142)
- We already mentioned that Harden is averaging 7.6 rebounds per game as a member of the 76ers. He’s cleared this total in seven of his last ten games and five of his last six. Plus, you know he’ll want to be as involved as possible against his old team.
- Tobias Harris, F, Philadelphia: Under 2.5 Assists (-185)
- With James Harden on the court, Harris has only averaged 0.07 assists per minute and 2.35 assists per 36 minutes. He’s unlikely to see 36 minutes tonight, which is why a lot of the action is coming in on the under.
