Atlanta Hawks at Philadelphia 76ers Betting Preview
Knotted up at two games apiece, the Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers will square off on Wednesday in a pivotal Game 5 matchup. The 76ers will host this one at the Wells Fargo Center, with tipoff scheduled for 7:30 pm ET.
After going down two games to one, the Hawks were able to win Game 4 on Monday 103-100 in Atlanta. In the win, Trae Young led the scoring attack with 25 points and 18 assists while Bogdan Bogdanovic added 22.
In the loss, Joel Embiid had a double-double with 17 points and 21 rebounds, but he looked lost in the second half, missing all 12 of his shot attempts. Still reeling from a partially torn meniscus in the first round, the big man’s health may be the biggest factor in deciding this series.
The 76ers are the favorites in this one playing at home. They are -270 to win while the Hawks’ moneyline sits at +220. The spread features Atlanta +6.5 (-110), and the over/under for total points is 223.5 (-110).
By The Numbers
In terms of scoring, the 76ers have been the stronger of the two teams this season. They rank 10th in the NBA, averaging 114.5 points per game (1181.1 at home). The Hawks rank 15th, averaging 113 points (111.3 on the road).
Defensively, it is once again Philadelphia that holds a slight edge. They rank fifth in scoring defense, allowing opponents just 108.3 points per game. The Hawks rank ninth, allowing 110.8 points per game.
Atlanta Tries To Return Home With A Chance Of A Series Victory
The Atlanta Hawks have already stolen one game on the road this series, and they would love to steal another on Wednesday. By doing so, it would give them an opportunity to return to Atlanta with the chance of finishing the series at home.
Leading the way for Atlanta this postseason has been star guard Trae Young. In nine games, he is averaging 28.3 points on 43% shooting. He is also averaging 2.6 rebounds, 10.7 assists, and a steal per game.
He hasn’t had to do it alone, though. Bogdan Bogdanovic (16.4 points, 5.9 rebounds), John Collins (14.1 points, seven rebounds), Danilo Gallinari (11.2 points, four rebounds), and Clint Capela (10.1 points, 12.7 rebounds) have also come up huge.
Philadelphia Hopes To Use Home Court Advantage
During the regular season, the Philadelphia 76ers were dominant at home. In fact, they went 29-7 at home versus just 20-16 on the road. They will look to use that home-court advantage to try to go up three games to two.
The biggest question mark continues to be Joel Embiid. This postseason, Embiid has averaged 27.4 points on 52.3% shooting while also adding 9.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and a steal per game.
Despite his success, he has acknowledged that his knees have been bothering him, particularly during Game 4. His ability to play big minutes at a superstar level could have huge implications.
Tobias Harris has also been huge this postseason. In nine games, he is averaging 23.2 points on 53.8% shooting. He is also averaging 8.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.1 steals.
Other contributors include Seth Curry (16.7 points) and Ben Simmons (13.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 1.4 steals).
Taking Philadelphia To Win And Cover
This one is a tough one to call. In the Hawk’s two wins, they have won by an average of just 3.5 points. In their two losses, it has been by an average of 16 points.
While Embiid’s health is certainly a concern, expect the 76ers to bounce back in this one after a tough loss on Monday. While it may not be by 16 points, take Philadelphia to not only win but cover the 6.5 points as well.
