The 2021 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Semifinals bring a great matchup between the No. 5 Atlanta Hawks and the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers, so here’s the best Hawks vs. 76ers betting pick for Sunday, June 6, when the series starts at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Sixers are -180 favorites to reach the Eastern Conference Finals, while the Hawks are +165 dogs to eliminate Philadelphia. The 76ers open as slight 2.5-point home favorites for Game 1. Back in the regular season, Phila won two of its three encounters with Atlanta, going 2-1 ATS in the process.
The Hawks improved defensively to smash the Knicks in the first round
The Atlanta Hawks posted the 10th-worst defensive rating in the league this past regular season, allowing 113.3 points per 100 possessions. They’ve played some excellent defense throughout the Knicks series to see off New York’s challenge in five games.
The Hawks have yielded 104.0 points per game, posting a defensive rating of 103.5 and limiting the Knicks to just 39.8% shooting from the field and 34.2% from downtown. Atlanta held New York below 100 points in each of their last three encounters while scoring 104.0 points a night during the first-round series.
Trae Young is tallying 29.2 points and 9.8 assists per game this postseason, while Clint Capela is adding 10.0 points, 13.4 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks a night. The Hawks are making 44.3% of their field goals and 36.0% of their 3-pointers which are solid numbers considering the Knicks’ stout defense.
The 76ers finished the job without Joel Embiid
The Philadelphia 76ers are coming off a 129-112 home victory over the Washington Wizards, as Doc Rivers’ boys won Game 5 of their first-round series playing without their best player. Joel Embiid suffered a knee injury in Game 4 against the Wizards and is questionable to play in the opening game of the semifinal series.
Embiid practiced in a limited fashion yesterday and could easily miss Sunday’s clash. The Sixers overcame his absence against Washington, as Seth Curry accounted for 30 points, while Ben Simmons posted a triple-double of 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists.
Philadelphia hit the 120-point mark in four of its five encounters with the Wizards in the first round. The Sixers tortured Washington’s leaky defense, and Tobias Harris led the way with 25.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.
Trends:
Atlanta:
- 6-1 ATS in the last seven games overall
Philadelphia:
- 6-14 ATS in the last 20 games against Atlanta
The Hawks have a huge opportunity to take the first blood, as Joel Embiid will probably sit out the opener. That means the Hawks can focus their defense on Tobias Harris and Ben Simmons, while Clint Capela should dominate in the paint.
Therefore, I’m backing the Hawks to keep it close, and buying a few points should be a smart move. All three regular-season meetings between the Hawks and 76ers produced some lopsided scores, so we could see something different at the start of their playoff series.
Pick: Atlanta Hawks +4.5 at -150
The Total:
I’m expecting the 76ers to lean on their defense and try to overcome Embiid’s eventual absence. Phila posted the second-best defensive rating in the NBA this past regular season, yielding 107.6 points per 100 possessions.
On the other side, the Hawks still have some defensive problems, but they’ve improved a lot over the last few weeks, so I’m backing the under in this game. The under is 2-1 in the last three matchups between these two teams, and two of those three contests produced fewer than 211 points in total.
Pick: Go under 220.5 points at -110