Nets vs 76ers Picks and Predictions: All Eyes on Ben Simmons

You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.

Enter Ben Simmons’ return to Philadelphia. It’s the first time he’ll take the court since his tumultuous exit when the Brooklyn Nets take on the depleted 76ers on Tuesday night.

Simmons and the Nets will have a big edge against a Sixers team that will be without its entire Big 3 in Joel Embiid, James Harden, and Tyrese Maxey, so will Simmons show out and help his team cover a big spread?

I dig through the numbers and bring you my best NBA picks and predictions for Nets vs. 76ers below.

Nets vs 76ers best odds

Nets vs 76ers picks and predictions

The Brooklyn Nets are finally starting to find their footing, winning won four of their last six games and it's interesting that Ben Simmons has also begun to look like his old self.

Simmons has put together back-to-back classic Simmons performances, averaging 18.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and six assists in wins over the Trail Blazers and Grizzlies and he should be able to find success all over the box score again tonight against a short-handed Sixers team, despite likely hearing a ton of boo-birds.

And the best place to find betting value among those numbers will be in Simmons' rebounding prop. His number for this matchup is set at 7.5, a number he has eclipsed in each of the last two games. 

But the reason to like this bet is because of the matchup with the Sixers. Philly is one of the worst rebounding teams in the NBA, and that’s usually with Joel Embiid and his 10.1 rebounds per game on the court. 

The Sixers rank dead last in rebounding rate and 20th in opponent rebounds per game, so, you can bet Embiid’s presence on the boards will be missed. Take the Over on his 7.5 rebounds at plus money.

My best bet: Ben Simmons Over 7.5 rebounds (+102)

Nets vs 76ers spread analysis

NBA odds had the Nets opening this Atlantic Division matchup as 7.5-point road favorites and got up as high as 8.5 before coming back down to the opening number, which makes sense considering no Embiid, Harden, and Maxey for the 76ers.

On top of that, the Nets are starting to play the way many expected them to at the beginning of the season. Brooklyn is 4-2 straight up and against the spread over the last six games. 

While the offense continues to roll with Kevin Durant leading the way, it’s the defense that has seen a big improvement over the last couple of weeks. In fact, the Nets rank ninth in defensive rating over that six-game stretch.

And it’s hard to know how mundane the Sixers' offense will be without its Big 3 and their 77 points per game. They haven’t played too many minutes this season without all three of them. In fact, there have been only two games this season where they've only had one of the three, losing both.

No official play for me here, but with the improved defense from the Nets and limited options for the 76ers, I would definitely lean toward Brooklyn in this matchup.

Nets vs 76ers Over/Under analysis

The total for this matchup hit the board at 217.5 and was bet up to 219.5 before dropping back down to the opening number as of Tuesday afternoon. 

The Nets' offense has been solid, ranking 12th in offensive rating and putting up 111.6 points per game. I’m just not sure that will be enough against a 76ers team that is going to have trouble putting up points without their top three scorers. In those two games where the Sixers only had one of their Big 3, they averaged just 106.5 points.

On top of that, both of these teams rank in the bottom third of the NBA in pace of play. That’s enough to think this one will stay below the number.

Nets vs 76ers betting trend to know

The Nets are 6-2-1 ATS in their last nine games overall. Find more NBA betting trends for Nets vs. 76ers.

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