The Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat made it through the first round of the NBA Playoffs without much trouble. But both teams come into the second round with some injury concerns that could get in their way of making it through this series and into the Eastern Conference Finals. In our NBA predictions for Monday night, we look at 76ers vs Heat Game 1 and give you our best bet for a game where both teams are missing key players.
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76ers vs Heat Game 1 Betting Pick
This game will be played at FTX Arena at 7:30 PM ET on Monday, May 2, 2022.
Why Bet The Heat:
✅ The loss of Joel Embiid for the 76ers will outweigh any injury losses for the Miami Heat in this game. Embiid led the league in scoring this season and the 76ers have already struggled with him playing through a thumb injury against the Toronto Raptors. With Embiid out due to an orbital bone fracture for the first two games of this series, the Sixers will struggle even more.
✅ Miami is simply better equipped to defend the Philadelphia 76ers than the Toronto Raptors were. The Heat have multiple bigs, led by Bam Adebayo, who can rebound the basketball and protect the rim in a way that the undersized bigs of the Toronto Raptors could not against Philadelphia. The Heat will control the glass against the Sixers and that will help them cover the spread.
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✅ While Kyle Lowry is set to miss this game for the Heat, Miami is expected to have Jimmy Butler available for this contest. If Butler and Tyler Herro, who is battling an illness, are able to play in this game, the Heat should be able to win this contest with ease on their home floor to take a 1-0 series lead.
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers got through the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the playoffs, advancing in six games despite injuries to Joel Embiid. But the injury issues for Joel Embiid only got worse at the end of that Raptors series, as he took an elbow to the face that broke his orbital bone. Embiid is going to miss the first two games of this series, which could severely impact Philadelphia’s chances of winning on the road.
With Embiid out, the Sixers are going to need the best possible performances from James Harden and Tobias Harris. Both have played well in short bursts during this postseason, but their lack of consistency is concerning against a team like the Heat that is remarkably consistent in their performance and level of intensity.
Miami Heat
Erik Spoelstra’s Miami Heat went out and showed why they were the top seed in the Eastern Conference in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. They took care of the Atlanta Hawks in five games, even with Kyle Lowry and Jimmy Butler sitting out for the final game of the series due to injuries. In Game 1 of this series, Lowry has been ruled out once again, but the Heat come in as convincing favorites due to the absence of Embiid on the other side.
With Embiid out, Bam Adebayo is poised to have a big first two games for the Heat. Adebayo is able to score both at the rim and from the mid range, which will be a huge deal without the combination of size and speed that Embiid brings on the defensive end. If Adebayo can control the paint and the glass in the first two games of this series, the Heat could give themselves a nice cushion on their home floor.
