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The Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers will battle it out in a Game 1 matinee on Sunday afternoon. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Wizards-76ers prediction and pick.
Philadelphia has dominated the Wizards in recent history with a regular-season series sweep and five-game winning streak coming in. Washington is coming off an impressive win against the Indiana Pacers in the second play-in game and will hope to ride that momentum into the Eastern Conference Playoffs. Philly was 8-2 to close out the season and seems destined to make a deep run.
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the Wizards-76ers odds.
NBA Playoff Odds: Wizards-76ers Game 1 Odds
Washington Wizards +8 (-110)
Philadelphia 76ers -8 (-110)
Over 227 Points (-110)
Under 227 Points (-110)
Why The Wizards Could Cover The Spread
The Wizards had a dreadful start to the season and needed a ton to happen late in the year to make it to the playoffs. They went on an eight-game winning streak in April and finished the year on a 7-5 stretch. The Wizards started clicking on all cylinders and their 15-5 end to the season was just enough to get into the play-in tournament. After a tough defeat in the first game against Boston, the Wizards came out and torched the Pacers to advance.
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Washington is an offensive machine that can put up 130 points on a regular basis. Russell Westbrook averaged a triple-double and Bradley Beal came just short of winning the scoring title this season. The key for the Wizards in this series will be the play of guys like Rui Hachimura, Ish Smith, and Davis Bertans. The 76ers are one of the most talented and deepest teams in the league, which means that the Wizards will have to find ways to match that depth for 48 minutes.
Why The 76ers Could Cover The Spread
The 76ers are sitting pretty at the top of the Eastern Conference. Philly will be tasked with holding off the surging Wizards in the first round of the postseason, which may be harder than you'd think. The Wizards have been scoring in bunches, so it'll be up to Embiid and Simmons to slow their two-headed monster in the backcourt down.
The good thing for the Sixers is that they match up very well. Joel Embiid is one of the best rim protectors in all of basketball and Simmons is a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, and there are other options on the roster to play strong defense. Embiid will also likely be the runner-up for MVP after putting together the best season of his career. The 76ers big man averaged 28.5 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.4 blocks on the season.
Final Wizards-76ers Game 1 Prediction & Pick
The 76ers will be thrilled to welcome their fans back into the building at 50% capacity for the postseason. Philadelphia finished 29-7 at the Wells Fargo Center and will now have an added boost with a packed crowd. The 76ers' defense has been their bread and butter this season and will be what they lean on to stop the Wizards. Beal is banged up and Westbrook is too inefficient to lead this club on his own. Although I am predicting a comfortable series victory for Philadelphia, I believe that Washington will come out with a ton of energy and cover this large spread in Game 1. The Wizards are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games against the 76ers.
FINAL PICK: Washington Wizards +8 (-110)
