76ers vs. Nets Odds, Preview, Pick & Prediction for Thursday, December 30th
76ers vs. Nets Odds
| 76ers Odds | +5.5 |
| Nets Odds | -5.5 |
| Over/Under | 221.5 |
| Date | Thursday, Dec. 30 |
| Time | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | NBATV |
On Thursday, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets will battle at the Barclays Center. Unlike the rest of the NBA, this contest is only minimally impacted by COVID-19. Danny Green and Shake Milton for the 76ers are the only two notable names in this matchup who will be on the sidelines due to health and safety protocols. Brooklyn is still without Joe Harris, who is recovering from ankle surgery, and Kyrie Irving, who remains ineligible to play due to his unvaccinated status. In this matchup of two relatively healthy teams, oddsmakers are anticipating a Brooklyn victory, pricing the Nets as 5.5-point home favorites on the spread at online sportsbooks.
Now, let’s take a closer look at how the 76ers vs. Nets match up tonight on the hardwood.
76ers
Since winning eight of their first 10 games of the season, Philadelphia is a mediocre 10-14 over their subsequent 24 contests, but much of that is a direct result of Joel Embiid missing 11 games. When Embiid is in the lineup this season, the 76ers are 15-8. Per Cleaning the Glass, when Embiid is on the floor this year, Philadelphia ranks in the 70th percentile in offensive efficiency and the 74th percentile in defensive efficiency. The 76ers plummet to the 43rd percentile in offensive efficiency and the 28th percentile in defensive efficiency when Embiid is off of the court. Though not as dominant as recent years, Philadelphia still possesses one of the best starting lineups in the Eastern Conference with Embiid, Tobias Harris, Tyrese Maxey, and Seth Curry healthy.
Nevertheless, the Nets are a stout defense, which could make it difficult for role players to perform well in this one. Seth Curry’s player prop is listed at over/under 15.5 points at PrizePicks. Curry has failed to go over this number in each of his last three games–each of which was against a weaker defense than the Nets.
Nets
Despite missing Kyrie Irving from the lineup thus far this year, Brooklyn enters play with the best record in the Eastern Conference at 23-9. Kevin Durant has been sensational, leading the league in scoring at 29.7 points per night, and ranking 3rd in Player Efficiency Rating (PER). The Nets are 18-4 in Durant’s last 22 games. In that stretch, Brooklyn’s only losses are to the Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, and a pair of defeats to the Chicago Bulls–both of which came when playing at a rest disadvantage on a back-to-back. The Nets have indisputably been one of the most dominant teams in the NBA through the first half of the campaign.
If looking for a player prop to target in this one on Brooklyn’s side, the under on James Harden’s points has value at PrizePicks. In the last four games that Harden has played with Durant, Harden has totaled 20 points, 23 points, 14 points, and 20 points. PrizePicks has Harden’s prop listed at over/under 23.5 points this evening.
Picks and Prediction
Philadelphia has a strong roster, but they lack the depth that is necessary to defeat elite teams, such as the Nets, on the road. When Harden, Durant, and Patty Mills share the floor this season, Brooklyn ranks in the 97th percentile in offensive efficiency and the 63rd percentile in defensive efficiency. Expect these three players to get a lot of action together tonight, leading to a Nets win.
PICK: Nets -5.5 (-110)
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