Philadelphia turned their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series around on Monday night, as the 76ers routed the Nets by 22 points — putting up 145 points in the process. With Sixers legend Allen Iverson sitting courtside, Ben Simmons put up a triple-double with 18 points, 12 assists and 10 boards, a game after he had only nine points in the opener and found the Philly fans booing him. The game was close at the half, but Philadelphia went on a 14-0 run to start the third quarter. Joel Embiid did pick up a flagrant foul for throwing an elbow at Jarrett Allen, near the end of the second quarter, and the laughter he issued in his postgame apology has riled up the Nets, but Brooklyn had no answer on Monday. Can they regain the series lead on Thursday? Or will Philadelphia take control of the series? Check out our NBA Playoffs sports betting preview of this Eastern Conference clash.
76ers vs Nets 2019 NBA Playoffs Odds & Game 3 Analysis
Game 3. Brooklyn. Tonight.#WEGOHARD pic.twitter.com/kFZoMbIcIA
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) April 18, 2019
- When: Thursday, April 18, 2019, 8:00pm ET
- Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn
- TV: TNT
- Radio: 97.5 FM The Fanatic Philadelphia / WFAN 660 AM New York
- Live Stream: ESPN+
- Opening NBA Odds: Philadelphia -2.5 / O/U 227.5
Why should you bet on Philadelphia?
Joel Embiid is on a minutes limitation thanks to tendinitis in his knees, but he still put up 23 points and 10 boards in only 21 minutes. His backups more than held their own while he was off the floor, which meant the Nets were not able to feast inside or pressure the Sixers’ backcourt on defense. Tobias Harris added 19 points, and JJ Redick put up 17 — along with Simmons’ triple-double. The team shot 56 percent from the floor and went 9 for 23 from downtown. They followed up a 65-point first half with a 51-point third period, as we see what the 76ers can do when they are firing on all cylinders.
Philadelphia has covered in four of their last five Eastern Conference quarterfinal games. However, they have only covered in two of their last seven games away from home and just once in their last six games coming after a double-digit win. In the last seven meetings between Philadelphia and Brooklyn, the home team has covered five times. If you like Philadelphia here, you see that offensive onslaught coming to New York with the team — and the Sixers overcoming their trend of taking things easy after a big win.
Team Stats
Offense- Total Score: 115.38
- Field Goal Percentage: 47.14
- Three-Point Percentage: 35.71
- Free Throw Percentage: 77.03
- Total Rebounds: 47.80
Defense
- Total Score: 112.60
- Field Goal Percentage: 45.54
- Three-Point Percentage: 34.38
- Free Throw Percentage: 77.01
- Total Rebounds: 43.39
Why should you put your money on Brooklyn?
Even with that rout in Game 2, Brooklyn came back from Philadelphia having taken home-court advantage away from the Sixers with that Game 1 win. Spencer Dinwiddie led the Nets in Game 2 with 19 points, D’Angelo Russell had 16 points, and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson added 15. Brooklyn made 47 percent of their shots and went 15 for 36 from behind the arc. However, losing the third period by 28 points made for an awful night, and Brooklyn had no answer for Simmons, Embiid or Harris.
A lot of the numbers favor Brooklyn here. They have covered in 16 of their last 21 games played on two days’ rest and in eight of their last 11 Eastern Conference quarterfinals matchups. In their last five games overall, they have covered four times. The fact that the series is shifting to Brooklyn — and that Philadelphia has played significantly less effectively on the road than they have at home — will make this a much tougher game for the 76ers.
Team Stats
Offense- Total Score: 112.36
- Field Goal Percentage: 44.87
- Three-Point Percentage: 35.44
- Free Throw Percentage: 74.71
- Total Rebounds: 46.39
Defense
- Total Score: 112.58
- Field Goal Percentage: 45.72
- Three-Point Percentage: 33.95
- Free Throw Percentage: 76.93
- Total Rebounds: 46.27
76ers vs Nets NBA Betting Trends
- The total has gone OVER in 6 of Philadelphia’s last 8 games
- Philadelphia is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
- Philadelphia is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
- Brooklyn is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
- Brooklyn is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Brooklyn’s last 6 games
Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction
On paper, Philadelphia has the much better lineup going into Thursday night’s game. With that said, Philadelphia has underperformed on the road, and Brooklyn has the pesky lineup to frustrate the 76ers again. The bulletin board material from Embiid’s non-apology will just add more fuel to motivate a Brooklyn team that already has to feel confident after taking the opener. I predict a final score of Brooklyn 121, Philadelphia 117.
