The battle for the coveted seventh seed in the Eastern Conference heats up as the Philadelphia 76ers clash with the Miami Heat in a Play-In tournament matchup. The winners qualify for the playoffs, while the losers have one more chance against the game-winner between the lower-ranked seeds. The 76ers hold home-court advantage and are huge favorites, but expect a tightly contested battle between these two familiar foes. The Sixers are on a hot streak and were so comfortable that they rested star player and last year’s NBA MVP, Joel Embid, in their regular-season finale against the Brooklyn Nets.
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Basketball: NBA Play-in Tournament
Where to Watch: ESPN
Venue: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Date: 18.04.2024 02:00
Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers, boasting Joel Embiid's star power, are on an eight-game winning streak and are finishing the season with a flourish. Embiid continued his dominance as a scoring and rebounding machine, averaging over 30 points and 12 rebounds per game. Despite a strong late-season push, the 76ers finished the regular season with a 47-35 record, landing them in the seventh spot in the East and forcing them into the Play-In tournament.
I think that we did battle some adversity. The main thing that I would say I’m happy with, I’m pleased with, is that our competitive drive and spirit have risen in the last few months. We’re competing at a level where I think we should all expect our guys to compete.
Miami Heat
The Heat routed the Toronto Raptors 118-103 in their regular season finale for some much-needed practice ahead of their play-in tournament game against the 76ers in Philadelphia. The Heat, carried by Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, finished the regular season as the Eighth seed in the Eastern Conference to get into the play-in tournament. Despite some run-ins with injuries to key actors, Miami earned a 46-36 record for the regular season. The Heat expect to have guard Duncan Robinson for the game against the Sixers after the elite 3-point shooter missed a large chunk of the season-ending run-in.
Betting Odds
The Miami Heat are 2.49 underdogs on Betway, which prices Miami (+1.5) at 2.24 odds. 1XBET lists total over 204.5 at 1.625 and the under at 2.15. Bet365 has the Heat to win the first half at 2.45, while the Sixers to win the first half is at 1.58. Read more here.
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