Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets will open Thursday’s action of the NBA 2021-22. The home side looks forward to staying at the pole position in its division. The visitors finally bounced back with a win, and they hope for another positive result.
Philadelphia has enjoyed a good form recently, and they want to keep up at the same pace on Thursday evening. The hosts search for the best possible position ahead of the playoffs, and they intend to stay at the top of the standings. On the other hand, Brooklyn managed to break its run of defeats in the latest game. The away side wants to build up on its most recent performance and celebrate another victory.
Philadelphia 76ers – Can they keep the high level of performances?
The 76ers have been very good lately, and they lost just twice in the previous ten games. That positive run saw them climbing to the top of the Atlantic Division with a 40-24 record, having the same number of wins as the Boston Celtics, but also three games in hand. Philadelphia goes to this match after beating the Bulls on the home court 121-106. Although they were inferior in the paint, Joel Embiid was unstoppable with 43 points, 14 rebounds, three blocks, two assists, and a pair of steals.
Joel Embiid also leads the 76ers’ offense this season with 29.7 points, 11.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game on average. James Harden joined Philadelphia in the midseason trade and made an immediate impact, averaging 24.6 pts, 12.4 assists, 7.6 rebs, and 1.2 steals in his first five appearances. Tobias Harris has contributed with 17.9 points and 7.1 rebounds, while 17.6 pts and 4.6 assists. Danny Green will be unavailable for this clash, while other Philadelphia players should be ready.
Expected Line-Up: Tyrese Maxey, James Harden, Matisse Thybulle, Tobias Harris, Joel Embiid
with best odds
Brooklyn Nets – Will they build up on their latest victory?
Unlike their division rivals, the Nets cannot be happy with their current form. They managed to win just twice on the previous eight occasions, which made them slip to 4th place in the Atlantic Division with a 33-33 record. Nevertheless, Brooklyn booked an important win to stop its four-game losing run. They celebrated a 132-121 road win against the Charlotte Hornets in their latest game. Brooklyn had an excellent 56.1 field goal percentage, while Kyrie Irving had an amazing evening with 50 points, six assists, three rebounds, and one steal and block each for 38 minutes spent on the court.
Kevin Durant has been the most productive player for the Nets so far, with 29.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per contest. Kyrie Irving averages 26.2 pts, 5.4 assists, 4.6 rebs, and 1.2 steals per game, while the new joiner Seth Curry has 15 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists after his first ten appearances for the Nets. A couple of players won’t be featuring in Brooklyn’s roster on Thursday evening, as LaMarcus Aldridge and David Duke Jr. are out of the contest.
Expected Line-Up: Kyrie Irving, Seth Curry, Bruce Brown, Kevin Durant, Andre Drummond
Expert Pick #1 – Brooklyn Nets +5 @-110
It’s going to be a fun contest, and although the hosts are favorites, I’m taking the road dog here. Brooklyn has been successful on the away courts and should be able to keep this game under a 5 margin. Therefore, I’ll take them ATS as my first pick.
Expert Pick #2 – Over 233.5 @-110
The Over has been a frequent outcome in both teams’ recent matches. Six of the 76ers’ previous eight went over the margin, while it also cashed six times in Brooklyn’s last eight road games. Give me the Over as the second bet.
Expert Pick #3 – Kyrie Irving Over 24.5 @-105
Irving goes to this game after a brilliant display, and I expect him to keep up where he left off. He averages 35.7 points over the previous ten matches and should be able to score at least 25 in this one. It’s going to be my third pick at slightly higher odds than the first two.
