Free NBA Pick: Wizards vs. 76ers NBA Odds
Looking for Washington Wizards vs. Philadelphia 76ers free NBA picks & NBA odds? NBA betting sees the Wizards taking on the 76ers on Sunday, May 23rd, 2021, at the Wells Fargo Center. Cappers Picks provides complimentary expert handicapping picks on all NBA basketball matchups so stay tuned for more FREE daily NBA hoops predictions like this Wizards 76ers matchup.
2021 NBA Playoffs Handicapping Round 1
(0-0) Washington Wizards vs. Philadelphia 76ers (0-0)
Date: Sunday, May 23rd
Time: 1:00 PM EST
Venue: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
NBA Moneyline Odds: Wizards +280 | 76ers -310
NBA Betting Odds: 76ers -7.5
NBA Betting Total: 228.5
The Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers tip-off day 2 of the NBA playoffs in a matinee match.
There is a long playoff history between the 76ers and Wizards although the five series they played occurred between 1971 and 1986. Philly holds a 13-11 game advantage having won three of the series.
Philly swept the regular-season three games and hold a current five-game win streak versus the Wizards. Of the 309 games the teams have played all-time, the 76ers hold the advantage winning 186 contests.
Washington Wizards
A late-season eight-game win streak by the Wizards followed by a 7-5 stretch to finish the season was required just to make the play-in tournament.
That meant the two-headed backcourt beast of Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook had to play full-out just to garner the eighth seed.
Westbrook made history surpassing Oscar Roberson’s all-time triple-double record averaging it for a fourth season with 22.2 points, 11.5 rebounds, 11.7 assists, plus 1.4 steals.
Beal came just short of winning the scoring title with 31.3 points but is nursing a sore hamstring coming into the series. Neither star was proficient from deep as Beal shot 34.9% and Westbrook 31.5%.
The key has to be the others like Rui Hachimura, Ish Smith, and Davis Bertans stepping up to help on both ends.
Deni Avdija (ankle fracture) and Thomas Bryant (torn ACL) are out for the season.
Philadelphia 76ers
Of the home court teams, the 76ers have the easiest path to the Conference Finals. They face a Wizards team they swept in the regular season then play one of the Hawks/Knicks who I’m predicting will need six or seven games to complete their series.
By the time they reach the ECF their opponent will have had a much tougher road to get there. That bodes well for the 76ers, however, they’ll need to be careful not to get too confident because the Bucks’ easy road to the ECF two seasons ago before losing four in a row is evidence never to underestimate an opponent.
Although Joel Embiid isn’t likely to beat out Nikola Jokic for MVP he’s been masterful this season and will have his best shot at reaching an NBA Finals since becoming a pro.
He averaged 28.5 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game. He’s in the best shape of his life with his production showing the benefits of his fitness.
When he’s on there isn’t anyone who can guard him. The one caveat here is he needs to be careful protecting the ball because he has a tendency to bring the ball down and it leads to turnovers (3.1 per game).
The 76ers defense is their calling card and they don’t lose at home (seven losses all season).
Ben Simmons will make life uneasy for Beal or Westbrook and Doc Rivers can trot out defensive master Matisse Thybulle at any time to get a stop.
NBA Betting Trends:
- The 76ers are 7-3 in the teams last 10 head to head meetings
- The Wizards are 6-4 ATS in the last 10 head to head meetings
- Over/Under is 4-6 in the teams last 10 head to head meetings
Free Washington Wizards vs. Philadelphia 76ers NBA Prediction:
For as good as the Wizards backcourt is I think this is a sweep or at worst gentleman’s sweep for the 76ers. Philly is allowing 50 percent arena capacity and after a season of mostly no fans in attendance, it’ll feel like a full house.
4* Free NBA Betting Pick: 76ers ATS
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