76ers vs. Heat Game 1 Prediction
Without Joel Embiid, will the 76ers struggle to cover as 7.5-point road underdogs when they visit the Heat in Game 1 of the NBA Playoffs Conference Semifinals at 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday night?
Game Snapshot
513 Milwaukee Bucks () at 514 Boston Celtics ();
7:30 p.m. ET, Monday, May 2, 2022
Venue: FTX Arena, Miami, FL
TV: TNT
Philadelphia 76ers DFS Notes
Joel Embiid (right orbital bone fracture/concussion) will not travel to Miami for Games 1 and 2 of Philadelphia’s second-round series, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Embiid suffered the injury during Philadelphia’s Game 6 win over the Raptors on Thursday, and he is without a concrete timeline for return. However, the MVP candidate is expected to be re-evaluated by team doctors on Wednesday, and there’s a chance that he could be available for either Game 3 or Game 4 at home. With Embiid ruled out for the first two games, that opens the door for Paul Reed and DeAndre Jordan to log rotation minutes. Reed stands to be a better option when it comes to matching up with Bam Adebayo in the middle.
Miami Heat DFS Notes
Jimmy Butler (right knee inflammation) is listed as questionable for Monday’s game against the 76ers. Butler has been dealing with the knee inflammation for some time now, but he was a full participant in Saturday’s practice. He’ll be good to go for Monday’s series opener, and his playmaking ability is of even greater importance due to Kyle Lowry (hamstring) still being sidelined.
76ers vs. Heat Game 1 NBA Playoffs Betting Prediction
The 76ers are just 1-4-1 against the spread in their last six games in Miami, are 3-9-1 against the number in their last 13 road games and are 6-16-1 at the betting window in their last 23 games after scoring 100 points or more in their previous contest. The Heat, meanwhile, are 10-2 against the spread in their last 12 playoff games as a favorite, are 5-1 against the number in their last six home games and are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games when their opponent scored 100 points or more in its previous game.
NBA PLAYOFFS BETTING PREDICTION: MIAMI HEAT -7.5