A pair of Eastern Conference playoff contenders will square off Monday night as the Miami Heat (32-29, 7th in the East) take on the Philadelphia 76ers (39-20, 3rd in the East). The 76ers will host this one at the Wells Fargo Center, with tipoff scheduled for 7:00 pm ET.
The 76ers are the favorites playing at home. They are -255 to win, while the Heat’s moneyline sits at +210. The spread features Miami as 6-point underdogs (-110), and the over/under for total points is 216 (-110).
Heat Trying To Snap Losing Streak
At 32-29, the Miami Heat sit 12 games behind the top-ranked Boston Celtics and 2.5 games behind the Knicks for sixth in the East. Miami has struggled as of late, having lost four games in a row, and they are just 13-19 on the road this season.
Offensively, they have struggled all year. They currently rank dead last in scoring, averaging just 108.1 points per game (107.6 on the road).
Miami has a trio of players that can lead them in scoring every night as Jimmy Butler (21.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, five assists), Bam Abedayo (21.4 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists), and Tyler Herro (20.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists) have all had solid seasons.
While Miami struggles offensively, they have been solid on the defensive end. They currently rank second overall, allowing opponents an average of just 108.6 points per game (109.9 on the road).
Philadelphia Tries To Stay Solid At Home
Like the Heat, the 76ers come into this one having lost their last game, but they have still gone a solid 7-3 over their last 10. Helping, even more, is that this game is at the Wells Fargo Center, where Philadelphia has gone 24-9 this season. They will try to add another win to their home total on Monday as they host Miami.
The 76ers also possess an elite defense. They rank third in the NBA in scoring defense, allowing opponents just 110.4 points per game.
On the offensive side, they fare a bit better than Miami. The 76ers rank 16th in scoring, averaging 114.2 points per game (115.4 at home).
The 76ers’ offense is led by Joel Embiid, who has the second-best odds of winning the NBA MVP award this season at +400. In 47 games, Embiid is averaging 33.1 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.6 blocks.
Other contributors include James Harden (21.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 10.7 assists), Tyrese Maxey (19.4 points, 3.6 assists), and Tobias Harris (15.5 points, 5.8 rebounds).
Take The 76ers To Win And Cover
Coming into this one, Miami is just 1-4 in their last five games and they are just 1-8 against the spread in their last nine. In their last six games against Philadelphia, though, they are 4-2 both straight up and against the spread.
For the 76ers, they are 5-1 both straight up and against the spread in their last six games. In their last five home games, they are 4-1 against the spread. They are also 13-4 straight up in their last 17 games versus the Heat.
This one comes down to momentum and location. Miami has really struggled as of late, and Philadelphia has been a tough draw at the Wells Fargo Center.
While Miami’s defense might be able to keep them in it for a while, expect the 76ers to ultimately pull away in this one. Take Philadelphia to both win and to cover the 6-point spread at home (-110).
