76ers Showing Fighting Spirit
Just when it looked as though the Miami Heat would roll through the Philadelphia 76ers, Joel Embiid returns and scores a double-double.
Game Four couldn’t be more important for the home side, who are the -1½ favorites with NBA odds to even the series at 2-2.
Let’s check the latest NBA picks stats, injury reports, and NBA odds for Heat vs 76ers. We’ve plenty of NBA playoffs odds for you to consider.
Heat Needing To Rebound
We don’t often see the Miami Heat produce such a poor performance. They failed to score over 17 points in three of the four quarters on Friday and saved face with a 31-point third quarter.
Jimmy Butler led by example with 33 points, but the rest of the team didn’t show up. It’s a concerning sign as they face another tough road test, so bettors are understandably doubting the underdogs on Sunday.
The sportsbook opened the Heat as road underdogs and we don’t think that line will move much on game day.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra wasn’t surprised by the impact Embiid had in his return.
“This is what you have to expect,” Spoelstra told ESPN. “He’s an MVP-caliber player.”
Stopping Embiid is an important aspect of winning Game Four, but scoring just 77 points isn’t going to cut it.
76ers Rejuvenated
It sometimes takes an MVP player to get the franchise back up and running and Embiid is one of those players.
The Philadelphia 76ers big man returned in style and he’s the catalyst for a 76ers comeback, which has already been halved.
“We have a good chance to win it all,” Embiid said. “We’ve got to stay healthy.”
If Embiid is fit, the 76ers have an excellent chance to even the series. James Harden has yet to step up to the plate after going 1-7 from the three-point line in Game Three.
They will eventually need Harden to step up and if he does, the Heat are in trouble.
Heat vs 76ers Head-to-Head
The Philadelphia 76ers snared a win to peg the series back to a 2-1 deficit.
Miami had taken the first two games at home, but the season series has been tight throughout.
Heat vs 76ers Game Information
- Game: Heat (53-29) vs 76ers (51-31)
- Location: Wells Fargo Center
- Day/Time: Sunday, May 8, 8 p.m. ET
- Heat vs 76ers Live Stream: NBA Game Pass
Heat vs 76ers Betting Lines
Heat vs 76ers Prediction
We think betting online markets have the right line framed for the all-important Game Four.
With Embiid back on the court, we expect the Philadelphia 76ers to square the series and get the home crowd rocking.
The -1½ line is generous as we thought the 76ers could be around -4, so we’re happy to take the line available.
The total of 207½ could be too high. There haven’t been many points scored so far and we’re expecting another low-scoring affair.
