Nets vs 76ers Picks and Predictions: Down Star PGs, East Elite Clash

The Philadelphia 76ers host the Brooklyn Nets at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, October 22. The Nets lost their season opener to the Milwaukee Bucks, while the Sixers beat the New Orleans Pelicans in theirs. 

Will Brooklyn begin the season by putting itself in an 0-2 hole? Keep reading our Nets vs. Sixers picks and predictions to find out. 

Nets vs 76ers odds

Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.

The Sixers don’t know whether or not they’ll have some key players in this one, and that makes it tough to read the line on this game. However, Philadelphia was a 1-point home underdog when this thing opened, and the team is now a 3-point underdog. Meanwhile, the total is 230.0 and hasn’t moved. 

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.

Nets vs 76ers predictions

• Sixers +3.0 (-110)
• Under 230.0 (-110)
• Best bet: Sixers +3.0 (-110)

Predictions made on 10/22/2021 at 12:35 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.

Nets vs 76ers game info

• Location: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
• Date: Friday, October 22, 2021
• Tip-off: 7:30 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN

Nets vs 76ers betting preview

Injuries

Nets: Day’Ron Sharpe C (Questionable), Kyrie Irving G (Out)
76ers: Joel Embiid C (Questionable), Shake Milton G (Questionable), Ben Simmons G (Out)
Find our latest NBA injury reports.

Betting trend to know

The Sixers are 37-16-1 against the spread in their last 54 games as home underdogs. Find more NBA betting trends for Nets vs. 76ers.

Nets vs 76ers 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

Last year, the Sixers were 33-10 straight-up and 25-17-1 against the spread when playing at home. This Philadelphia team has one of the best crowds in basketball, and the atmosphere should be absolutely electric in the team’s home opener — and don’t be surprised if it’s rowdier than ever considering what’s going on with Simmons. That extra energy should give the Sixers a boost, but it’s important to remember that this is a good team, even without Simmons. 

With Simmons in the mix, Philadelphia has more minutes for 2020 first-round pick Tyrese Maxey. In the season opener, Maxey had 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists and played some great perimeter defense on the other end of the floor. Maxey is a legitimate two-way stud for this Philadelphia team, and he has been waiting for an opportunity like this. Against Brooklyn, don’t be surprised if he takes the James Harden assignment. Maxey is a competitive player, and he has the body and smarts to give Harden some trouble. 

Embiid is currently listed as questionable for this game, but it seems likely that he’ll end up playing. The 27-year-old is smack in the middle of his prime, so he’ll continue to be a force on both ends of the floor. Embiiid should, however, be especially dominant in the paint in this game. Brooklyn center Nicolas Claxton is way too weak to handle a guy like Embiid around the basket. That should ultimately be a huge factor in determining the outcoming here.

Also, while nobody on the planet can actually shut Kevin Durant down, it helps having Embiid as the help defender in most actions. Durant can’t simply rise up and shoot over the top of Embiid, and he also will have a tough time finishing over him if he attacks the rim. 

The reality here is that the Nets are the more talented team and would probably win this game more often than not in normal circumstances. However, this Sixers team is out to prove that it can win without its entitled All-Star and the fanbase just might want that even more than the Sixers players. That’s going to significantly tilt this game in Philadelphia’s favor, as not as much separates these teams as people think. The Sixers are a good bet on the spread, but they can also take this outright. 

Prediction: Sixers +3.0 (-110)

Over/Under analysis

Five of the last six games that these teams have played against one another in Philadelphia have gone Under the total. This one should be similar to those, especially given how these teams are built. 

The Nets are actually better defensively than they are given credit for, and the pace of this game shouldn’t be quite as quick as people think. With Irving out, Harden typically runs the show for Brooklyn. He likes to walk the ball up the court and uses a lot of the shot clock. On the other end, the Sixers will get up their fair share of threes but won’t be running up and down the floor in a hurry. 

Prediction: Under 230.0 (-110)

Best bet

With all of the Simmons drama surrounding the Sixers, people really want to write off this Philadelphia team. However, this is a talented collection of players that play the game the right way, and it’s just hard to imagine a team like this dropping its season opener. The Sixers have a number of guys that take pride in their ability to play both ends of the floor, and they have also surrounded both Embid and Tobias Harris with a number of snipers. 

Make sure you are checking on Embiid’s status in this one, as it is legitimately up in the air as to whether or not he plays. But if he does end up suiting up, fire away and take the home underdog in this spot. 

Pick: Sixers +3.0 (-110)

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