Nets vs. 76ers Betting Picks, Betting Odds & Predictions: Will Kyrie Irving Stay Hot Against the Shorthanded Sixers?

Nets vs. 76ers Betting Picks, Betting Odds & Predictions: Will Kyrie Irving Stay Hot Against the Shorthanded Sixers? article feature image
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Mike Stobe/Getty Images. Pictured: Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets.

  • The updated odds for Wednesday's Nets vs. 76ers game makes the Sixers a sizable home favorite (spread: 76ers -7.5) with the over/under set at 222.
  • The line hasn't seen much movement, but over/under has gone up four points since opening.
  • How should you bet this matchup? Our experts detail how they're handicapping this game below.

Nets at 76ers Picks, Betting Odds & Predictions

  • Spread: 76ers -7.5
  • Over/Under: 222
  • Time: 7 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: ESPN

Odds as of Wednesday morning and via FanDuel, where Action Network users get a risk-free bet up to $500.


The Philadelphia 76ers have been the dominant team in their division this season, going 6-2 against their Atlantic counterparts. However, the Nets won by 20 the last time these two teams played in December, a game that did not featured big man Joel Embiid.

Embiid will sit out this matchup tonight, while Kyrie Irving will be on the court for his third game after missing weeks with a shoulder injury. Are the Sixers primed for another loss at the hands of the Nets?

Our NBA experts preview how they plan to bet this Eastern conference clash below.

Sharp Betting Angle

Generally speaking, the plays that end up on these sharp betting reports have a tendency of being of the unpopular variety. Especially in more heavily-bet games, it’s common for the sharp side to be the one getting the minority of bets.

That’s not the case with this total.

As is usually the case, the majority of bets have landed on the over, and according to our money percentages, they’ve been bigger bets than those hitting the under.

You can read the rest of Wednesday's Sharp Report here.

Bryan Mears: Irving Has Sparked Brooklyn's Offense

After exciting starts to the season, both of these teams have sucked lately. Over the past two weeks, the Sixers and Nets are 20th and 21st, respectively, in Net Rating. The 76ers have been bad on both ends of the floor, while the Nets have been solid defensively but awful offensively.

That said, Kyrie Irving returned to their lineup two games ago, and he's been excellent in both games. Last night's game was especially encouraging, as Kyrie played 32 minutes. He used 40.9% of the possessions and put up 32 points on excellent efficiency.

He's clearly been valuable to the Nets offense, which has been 8.9 points per 100 possessions better with him on the floor vs. off. They've posted an eFG% 5.3% better with him playing, which is in the 97th percentile of all players.

The issue for the Nets is largely cohesion. The most-used lineup this season with Irving and Spencer Dinwiddie together has played just 81 possessions together. That lineup has posted a huge +19.7 Net Rating together, but, again, it's a small sample. They just need more reps together.

But there are some positive signs here for the Nets, and even during their recent downswing they were pretty darn unlucky shooting the basketball. That should turn around on its own, but especially with Kyrie getting penetration against defenses and kicking out to Joe Harris and other shooters.

The 76ers, meanwhile, just haven't really been that good without Joel Embiid. With him on the floor, the Sixers have been 8.7/100 better, and the majority of that has come on the defensive end.

They've allowed 7.6% more shots at the rim without Embiid, which wouldn't have been as big of an issue against the Nets without Kyrie, but he's back. In their last two games, the Nets have been in the 86th percentile in shots at the rim, which isn't a coincidence.

The Sixers are likely seven points better than the Nets at home with Embiid, but given the data above plus Kyrie's recent play upon his return, I think the value is on the Nets in this one. I'd take it at anything +7 or better.  — Bryan Mears

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Matt Moore: How I'm Playing Tonight's Total

This total has gone up by three points (opened 219 and is at 222 as of this writing), the majority of the tickets are on the over, a higher majority of money is on the over, and the over is the best play.

The Sixers put up some absolutely huge numbers in last year’s playoff series (145 in Game 2, 131 in Game 3 without Embiid) and the matchups are still mostly the same. The Nets have better perimeter defenders this season like Garrett Temple, but containing Ben Simmons off the dribble takes such a combination of size and speed.

The Nets give up one of the lowest expected eFG% in the league, but the Sixers excel at those kinds of shots, and play more up-tempo without Embiid. Meanwhile, Brooklyn naturally puts up a high expected eFG% based on how well their offense runs and with Kyrie Irving back they’ll likely get buckets on top of their usual output.

This will either end up being a game in which the Sixers pound Brooklyn into oblivion or one where the Nets keep it close by putting up points. Brooklyn ranks 13th in defensive rating, but the matchup isn’t good here even without Embiid. Give me the over at 222. — Matt Moore

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Editor’s note: The opinions on this game are from the individual writers and are based on their research, analysis and perspective. They are independent of, and may not always match with, the algorithm-driven Best Bets from Sports Insights.

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