Philadelphia 76ers at Brooklyn Nets Prediction ATS 12/16/21

Philadelphia 76ers (15-14 SU, 13-16 ATS) vs. Brooklyn Nets (20-8 SU, 11-16-1 ATS)
When: Thursday December 16 2021, 07:30 PM (ET)
Where: Barclays Center: Brookyln, New York
TV: NBCSP

Point Spread: PHI +1/BRO -1 (Opened at BRO -1)
Total: 213.5 (Opened at 213.5)
Money Line: Philadelphia +101/Brooklyn -121
Power Rating: BRO -1.5

Probable Starting Lineups

76ers: PG Tyrese Maxey, SG Seth Curry, SF Danny Green, PF Tobias Harris, C Joel Embiid
Nets: G Patty Mills, G David Duke Jr., F Kevin Durant, F Blake Griffin, C Nic Claxton

Key Injuries

76ers
Furkan Korkmaz: illness (QUESTIONABLE) Georges Niang: illness (OUT) Grant Riller: knee (QUESTIONABLE) Ben Simmons: holdout (OUT) Jaden Springer: concussion (QUESTIONABLE)

Nets
DeAndre’ Bembry: illness (OUT) Bruce Brown: illness (OUT) Jevon Carter: illness (OUT) James Harden: illness (OUT) Joe Harris: ankle (QUESTIONABLE) Kyrie Irving: personal (OUT) James Johnson: illness (OUT) Paul Millsap: illness (OUT)

The Philadelphia 76ers enter today’s game, having lost two straight games. As of late, the 76ers have struggled to pick up wins, having won just 5 of their past ten games. As the road team, the Philadelphia travels to Brooklyn with a negative plus-minus of rating -2.1 points. Overall the 76ers are ranked 21st among NBA teams in point differential (5.9). Among NBA teams, they have played the 3rd toughest schedule.

For bettors, taking the Philadelphia 76ers to cover the spread has been a losing bet as they are covering in 44.80% of their games. Their season-long plus-minus against the spread is -1.1.

On offense, the team’s leading scorer is PG Tyrese Maxey (qualified). So far, Maxey is averaging 17.04 points per game. This output places him 13th among point guards. The 76ers’ best three-point shooter has been Seth Curry, connecting on 2.08 shots from downtown per game. Andre Drummond has been in charge of cleaning up the glass, hauling in 9.46 boards per game.

The Brooklyn Nets enter today’s game, having won 3 straight games.
In their past ten contests, the Nets have played at an above .500 rate, going 7-3. As they get set to host the 76ers, Brooklyn has a positive home plus-minus of 1.4 points. Overall, the Nets are ranked 6th among NBA teams in point differential (4.8). So far, this has come while playing the 25th toughest schedule.

For bettors, taking the Brooklyn Nets to cover the spread has been a losing bet as they are covering in 40.70% of their games. Their season-long plus-minus against the spread is -1.6.

On offense, the team’s leading scorer is SF Kevin Durant. So far, Durant is averaging 29.58 points per game. The Nets’ best three-point shooter has been Patty Mills, connecting on 3.18 shots from downtown per game. In this contest, the team will be without their top rebounder in James Harden and his 7.92 boards per game.

An Eye On Pace

Coming into this game, the Philadelphia 76ers are the slowest-paced team in the NBA. So far, the unit is averaging just 95 possessions per game. This slow tempo is most reflected in their limited three-point attempts. Among NBA teams, they rank 26th, averaging 11 three-point attempts per game. On the other side, Brooklyn is the 8th ranked team in possessions per game. This increased number of possessions has helped the team rank 9th in 2-point field goal attempts and 1st in free-throw attempts.

Matchups And Efficiencies

A key matchup to watch in this game is how the Brooklyn Nets fare without James Harden and his 20 points per game. So far, Harden has been instrumental in moving the ball as he is also averaging 9.6 assists. Look for Kevin Durant to take on Harden’s role of distributing in addition to his normal scoring duties.

The Historicals

Tonight’s matchup will be the second meeting of the season between Philadelphia and Brooklyn. In the first game, the Nets picked up a 114-109 win at home.

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How the Public is Betting the 76ers vs. Nets

56% are betting the 76ers against the spread.

54% are wagering on the game to go Over the posted total of 214.5

Betting Trends Worth Noting

76ers are 4-1-1 ATS in their last six games as a road underdog.
76ers are 5-2-1 ATS in their last eight games as an underdog.
Nets are 5-12 ATS in their last 17 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
Nets are 2-8 ATS in their last ten games as a favorite.

Joe’s Pick To Cover The Spread

A key to the Brooklyn Nets offensive success is their ability to move the ball and get to the line. On the season, James Harden has been instrumental to both aspects as he is averaging 9.6 assists and 7.4 free-throw attempts per game. Look for the Philadelphia 76ers to take advantage of facing a short-handed unit and pick up the win.

Prop Bets Worth Wagering

Even though I see Brooklyn losing the game, look for Kevin Durant to have a big game scoring the ball. Without his running mate, Durant should finish the contest North of 30 points. Bet your NBA picks for FREE this week by taking advantage of a 100% REAL CASH bonus on your first deposit of $100 to $1000 at Betnow Sportsbook!