A game between the 76ers and the visiting Nets is a potential playoff matchup, yet in the 2nd game of the season, the stakes aren’t remotely as high. Nonetheless, we have two teams that started differently, with the 76ers blowing out their opponent while the Nets got blown out in Milwaukee. Who has the edge in this one? Read down below.
76ers Betting Preview:
The Philadelphia 76ers had a very messy offseason mainly due to the Ben Simmons fiasco late last season and the drama that ensued. Yet, the team reacted quite well to the whole mess. By Simmons eliminating himself from the preseason, the 76ers formed a tight bond of players that share the same goal. They looked rather good against the Pelicans in their first match. Not brilliant, but good enough. They shot over 50 % from the field and the three with an average number of turnovers and a good number of rebounds.
All of that needs to repeat if they hope to defeat the Brooklyn Nets at home. The Philly crowd will enjoy this matchup as well and expect a sold-out crowd. The Nets have the drama of their own and looked much worse than the 76ers in their first match, making this a winnable match for the 76ers. A potential tiebreak down the line might also be added motivation.
Nets Betting Preview:
The Brooklyn Nets were a proper soap opera in the offseason and with good reason. Kyrie Irving, as talented as he is, often made headlines with things away from the court in the past few years. This offseason was no different, but this isn’t TMZ, and we won’t dwell on it for much longer. In short, Kyrie Irving is out, and he won’t come back any time soon. That makes this match a significant one for the Nets. Not only did they lose the first match, but they also did so in a convincing fashion. H2H against the 76ers might also prove crucial when the postseason comes along, so this is a match the Nets would like to steal on the road.
Brooklyn showed some promise in the matchup against Milwaukee. They outshot them from the three by a mile, which is something to keep an eye on, especially against a good shooting team like the 76ers. As did Patty Mills, Durant and Harden looked good, but they got killed on defense and in the paint. Changing that will be crucial against the 76ers.
Key matchups
Embiid – Griffin (or anybody else)
Joel Embiid, in theory, should have a field day against this Brooklyn Nets team. The Nets don’t have anybody that can successfully guard him. Whether it’s Griffin, Aldridge, or Milsap, all three are physically inferior to Embiid, and he should dominate in the paint. That should give the team plenty of good options on offense, especially if Embiid gets double-teamed.
Durant / Harden – Thybulle
For anybody that loves to see great defense, Thybulle is a fun watch. The Australian player is one of the best one-on-one defenders in the league, and he will have plenty of work to do against the Nets. Matchup wise he should guard Harden most of the time, but it’s not hard to see him take on Durant as well. If Thybulle successfully limits at least one of them, the 76ers will be in a great position to take this one.
76ers – Nets betting lines
The 76ers are a 2,5 points home underdog, and that line seems relatively accurate. Both of these teams are unknown as of now as it remains in what sort of roster they will continue the season. I like the 76ers here simply because I was more impressed with them. They have some solid matchups across the board, and if all things shape out logically, they should have the edge in this spot. Obviously, with Harden and Durant on the other side, there is always the possibility of them winning it with heroic performances.
The over-under at 230 looks pretty high, but the trend so far in the league has been high-scoring games, so it’s not completely unrealistic. Brooklyn has tremendous offensive potential, and the 76ers can keep up. It will be pretty close, but the over seems more likely if both teams play like they did in their last games.
Free Betting Pick
As a home underdog, I simply favor Philly. I was more impressed with them in their first game, and I think their chemistry is better than Brooklyn’s. The Nets starting 5 barely played any games together, and it showed. If Durant and Harden win this game for Brooklyn, fair play, but if they play as they did in Milwaukee, I think Philly can win.
When it comes to the points, I think the over is more likely. Both can score a lot; both are not expected to play elite defense, and if they have anything resembling an average night shooting, the over, even this high, should be reachable.
