Struggling 76ers Favored Over Short-Handed Nets

The Brooklyn Nets (20-8 SU, 11-16-1 ATS) host the Philadelphia 76ers (15-14, 13-16) at Barclays Center on Thursday in their second meeting of the season. The Nets come into the contest on a three-game win streak while the 76ers are 1-3 in their last four outings.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

The 76ers opened as 1-point favorites but the line had flipped to Brooklyn -1 by Thursday morning with the total set at 213.5 points. The UNDER is 10-5 in Philadelphia’s last 15 games and 5-2 in Brooklyn’s last seven. The 76ers have had the upper hand in this matchup recently, owning a 7-3 record against the Nets in the last 10 meetings.

Philadelphia News & Notes

The 76ers dropped their second straight game on Wednesday as they fell 101-96 to the Miami Heat. Tyrese Maxey led Philly with 27 points, Tobias Harris dropped 24 and Joel Embiid had a double-double with 17 points and 14 boards, but the 76ers’ lack of offensive depth cost them.

Offense has been an issue for Philadelphia this season, with the team scoring less than 100 points in two consecutive contests and in five of their last eight. The 76ers offense ranks 21st in the NBA at 106 points per game and their mediocre defense (13th) hasn’t been good enough to make up for it.

Georges Niang (quarantine) and Furkan Korkmaz (illness) are questionable for Thursday.

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Brooklyn News & Notes

The Nets earned their third straight win Tuesday with a 131-129 overtime victory against the Toronto Raptors. Kevin Durant dropped a game-high 34 points plus 13 boards and 11 assists for a triple-double while Patty Mills scored 30 points. Brooklyn, which had just eight players in Tuesday’s game, had six double-digit scorers in the win.

The story surrounding the Nets is their growing list of players in COVID-19 protocols as seven players were forced to miss the team’s last game: James Harden, LaMarcus Aldridge, Paul Millsap, Bruce Brown, James Johnson, Jevon Carter and DeAndre Bembry. That same list of players will be out on Thursday, dealing a big blow to Brooklyn’s chances.

How Philadelphia Will Cover

The 76ers have been sluggish of late but they’ll have a chance to bounce back against a severely short-handed Nets team. Brooklyn will be playing its second game in three nights with a depleted roster, and their last game went to overtime to boot. Philadelphia has to keep the pace high and try to tire out a more talented Brooklyn squad.

How Brooklyn Will Cover

All odds were against the Nets in their last game against the Raptors, but they managed to pull out a win with just three players on the bench. It’s hard to say how long they’ll be able to keep it up while short-handed, but anything is possible when you’ve got a superstar like Durant on your side.

Computer Pick: Nets -1

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