Basketball fans will be treated to a fun Eastern Conference showdown on Thursday when the Brooklyn Nets will be going for their seventh win in eight games as they host the Philadelphia 76ers.
Will Philadelphia find a way to cool this Brooklyn team off? Continue reading our 76ers vs. Nets NBA picks and predictions.
76ers vs Nets odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
The Nets opened as 4.5-point favorites in this game and can be found laying anywhere between 3.5 and 5.5 points in this one. A large majority of the bets are coming in on Brooklyn thus far, but the line isn’t consistently moving in one direction. The total, meanwhile, has gone from 220 at open to as low as 217. However, it’s mostly either 219.5 or 220.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until tip-off and be sure to check out the full NBA odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
76ers vs Nets predictions
Predictions made on 12/30/2021 at 10:00 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
If you're signing up for a new sportsbook for the 2021-22 NBA season, here are two of the best welcome bonuses available:
USA: Caesars Greetings! From now through 1/19/2022, any user that opts in to Caesars’ promotion and places $100 worth of settled bets (by 1/19) will receive a gift card for a FREE NBA Jersey. Opt in Now
Canada: Get a 100%-matched sign-up bonus (up to $400) at BetVictor. Claim Now
76ers vs Nets game info
• Location: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
• Date: Thursday, December 30, 2021
• Tip-off: 7:00 p.m. ET
• TV: SN1, YES, NBCS-PHI
76ers vs Nets betting preview
Injuries
76ers: Andre Drummond C (Questionable), Danny Green G (Out), Shake Milton G (Questionable), Ben Simmons F (Out).
Nets: Kevin Durant F (Probable), LaMarcus Aldridge F (Probable), David Duke Jr. G (Out), Kessler Edwards F (Out), Cam Thomas G (Probable), Day’Ron Sharpe C (Out), Joe Harris G (Out), Kyrie Irving G (Out).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Sixers are 3-8 against the spread in their last 11 games. Find more NBA betting trends for 76ers vs. Nets.
76ers vs Nets picks and predictions
Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.
Spread analysis
The Sixers and Nets will be meeting for the third time this season here, and Brooklyn is looking to improve to 3-0 both straight up and against the spread in this series. The Nets won by nine points when they played one another on December 16, and they definitely have a chance of turning in another decisive performance in this one.
The Nets were without Kevin Durant in the last few games and that has given James Harden the chance to recapture his mojo. Over the last two games, Harden is averaging 37.5 points, 12.5 assists, 9.0 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.5 steals per game. With Harden looking like the guy he was in Houston and Durant now back from his quarantine, the sky is the limit for the Nets — especially with Irving set to return in a few weeks.
Philadelphia is no longer the defensive team it was when Simmons was out there wrecking things for opponents, so it’s unfair to ask the Sixers to find a way to keep Brooklyn in check.
Defensively, the Nets will have trouble containing Joel Embiid, who has been dominant for the Sixers all year. However, Philadelphia doesn’t have enough outside of Embiid to keep up with a team as talented as Brooklyn. The Nets are finally returning to full strength and they should be one of the best offensive teams in basketball moving forward.
If Philadelphia overdoes it in attempts to slow down Harden and Durant, Patty Mills will make the Sixers pay for it. Mills is averaging 25.0 points per game over the last three games, and he is shooting 39.5 percent from three on 9.9 attempts per game in December.
Prediction: Nets -3.5 (-115)
Over/Under analysis
The Over has hit in five of Brooklyn’s last six games and the team is averaging 123.0 points per game over its last two contests. Meanwhile, the Over is also 3-2 in Philadelphia’s last five games, with the Sixers putting up 115.5 points per game in its last two. With both of these teams scoring more than usual lately, it’s hard to see how this game won’t go over the modest total you can find on this one tonight.
The Nets are currently operating as one of the best offenses in basketball, if not the best. The Over is also 16-5 when Brooklyn has played in games with totals between 210 and 219.5 over the last two years. The Over is also 5-3-1 in the last nine meetings between these teams.
Prediction: Over 217 (-110)
Best bet
The Nets are mostly favored by either 4.5 or 5 in this game, but you can still get it at 3.5 on DraftKings. And either way, it’s worth taking at whatever line you can get it at. There’s a lot separating these teams right now, which isn’t even a real knock on the Sixers. Until Philadelphia either gets Simmons back or deals him for players that can help, it’s not realistic that the team will be able to compete with a true championship contender like Brooklyn.
The Nets are also 14-2 against the spread when coming off back-to-back games against Western Conference opponents since Steve Nash took over as the team’s head coach. They’re also 14-9 straight up and 15-8 against the spread versus division opponents under Nash.
Pick: Nets -3.5 (-115)
Did you know that if you parlayed today’s NBA 76ers vs. Nets predictions and picks in a single-game parlay, you could win $25.69 on a $10 bet?
Use our NBA parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
