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The Washington Wizards will look to pull off the miracle in a seven-game series against the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers. In this 2021 NBA Playoffs odds post, we'll look at the Wizards-76ers series odds, schedule, make a prediction and more.
Philadelphia secured the one seed and home court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs behind a phenomenal season under new head coach Doc Rivers. The 76ers have been on the cusp of championship contention and it seems they are finally ready to take the leap. They will first have to get past one of the hottest teams in the league that made a miraculous late-season push into the postseason.
Wizards-76ers Series Odds (Updated 5/27)
Wizards-76ers Series Winner
Washington Wizards (+1800)
Philadelphia 76ers (-8000)
Wizards-76ers Series Spread
Washington Wizards +2.5 (+300)
Philadelphia 76ers -2.5 (-400)
Wizards-76ers Series Schedule
Game 1: WSH 118-125 PHI
Game 2: WSH 95-120 PHI
Game 3: PHI 132-103 WSH
Game 4: PHI 114-122 WSH
Game 5: WSH 112-129 PHI
No. 1 Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers beat out the Brooklyn Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks for the top seed in the Eastern Conference, which was a huge accomplishment in their first season under head coach Doc Rivers. The Sixers now have a clear path to the Eastern Conference finals and possibly even the NBA Finals. Philadelphia was able to find so much success as they finally got a full healthy season of Joel Embiid. Embiid will likely finish as the runner-up for league MVP behind a career year. With Ben Simmons and a plethora of outside shooting, this team controls its destiny.
The 76ers will not take the Wizards lightly as Washington possesses one of the most potent back courts in basketball. Philly will combat the back court with an array of elite perimeter defenders and a couple of monstrous big bodies down low. If they are able to sweep the Wizards, the 76ers will likely have a huge rest advantage over the Hawks or the Knicks that'll likely go the distance. That rest could be crucial for a team that has been injury prone over the past few seasons. The 76ers swept the season series against the Wizards behind their elite defense. Home court advantage will prove fruitful for a team that finished 29-7 at the Wells Fargo Center during the regular season.
No. 8 Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards were one of the best stories of the regular season as they seemed down and out after the first few months of the campaign. After a COVID outbreak and a plethora of injuries, this squad didn't really have any bodies to turn to. Washington then floored it and won 18 of their last 25 games to earn a play-in birth. After a loss in the first game against Boston, the Wizards absolutely crushed the Pacers to earn a postseason birth and first-round date with the 76ers.
Washington is being written off by everyone as the series gets under way. Philadelphia is in another weight-class and the Wizards will be lucky to steal a game. The only way that Washington can really make this a series is if they continue to play some of the best offense in the league. Scott Brooks had this club playing phenomenal basketball on that end as they finished third in the league in points scored this season. They push the pace and try to tire opponents out in transition with their speedy trio of Bradley Beal, Russell Westbrook, and Ish Smith. If they are able to control the tempo in this series, things may get interesting.
Game 1-3 update: The 76ers have cruised to a 3-0 series lead over the Wizards, with only Game 1 finishing with a single-digit point differential.
Game 4 update: With a hobbled Joel Embiid, the Sixers finally fell in the final minutes to the Wizards in Game 4, sending the series back to Philly.
Wizards-76ers Series Prediction and Pick (5/27)
This is a clear David vs. Goliath matchup in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Washington Wizards deserve a ton of respect for even getting to this point, but their wild run will unfortunately end here. Truthfully speaking, the 76ers are just a better team in every facet of the game. Westbrook and Beal have been so exciting to watch, but the less exciting team just plays a much more fundamentally-sound style of basketball. With an MVP and a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, the 76ers aren't very worried about this first-round matchup.
FINAL PICKS
Wizards-76ers Series Winner: Philadelphia 76ers (-8000)
Wizards-76ers Series Spread: Philadelphia 76ers -2.5 (-400)
