The Brooklyn Nets (45-37) will begin a best-of-7 series against the Philadelphia 76ers (54-28) in the 1st round of the NBA playoffs Saturday at Wells Fargo Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET (ESPN). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Nets vs. 76ers odds, and make our expert NBA picks and predictions.
The Nets concluded the regular season as the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference despite dealing F Kevin Durant and G Kyrie Irving away at the trade deadline. Brooklyn registered a 6-3 record in its final 9 games of the regular season.
The 76ers finished as the No. 3 seed in the East with C Joel Embiid and G James Harden leading the way. Embiid led the NBA with 33.1 points per game (PPG) and is a candidate to win his 1st NBA MVP award. Harden scored 21.0 PPG and led the NBA with 10.7 assists per game.
The Nets and the 76ers met 4 times during the season with Philadelphia winning all 4. Three of the matchups were decided by 9 points or fewer.