The Philadelphia 76ers get a second crack at closing out the Washington Wizards when the teams meet in Game 5 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
The Sixers lost outright as 8.5-point chalk in Game 4, as star center Joel Embiid departed due to a knee injury. Philadelphia is again an NBA betting favorite tonight but it's only a 6-point spread as Philly will not have Embiid's services tonight.
Can the Sixers seal the deal... or will Washington find a way to extend this series and bring it back to D.C.? Find out our thoughts in our Wizards vs. 76ers picks and predictions for Wednesday, June 2, with tip-off set for 7:00 p.m. ET.
Wizards vs 76ers game info
• Location: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
• Date: Wednesday, June 2, 2021
• Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
• TV: NBA League Pass
Wizards vs 76ers odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
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NBA Sharp Money and Line Movement Report
By Patrick EversonPhiladelphia went up as a 6.5-point favorite at TwinSpires Sportsbook, and the line dialed back to -6, where it remains at 3:30 p.m. ET. Joel Embiid (knee) is sitting out tonight for the 76ers, and the underdog Wizards are nabbing 62 percent of spread bets and 67 percent of spread money. "With Embiid out, the public is on the Wizards," TwinSpires trading analyst Zachary Lucas said. The total is stable at 229.5, with the Under taking 63 percent of bets/57 percent of cash.
Check out the full line movement for this gameWizards vs 76ers series odds
Wizards: +1,800
76ers: -5,250
Wizards vs 76ers betting preview
Injuries
Wizards: Davis Bertans F (Out), Deni Avdija F (Out), Thomas Bryant C (Out).
76ers: Joel Embiid C (Out), Seth Curry G (Questionable), George Hill G (Questionable).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Wizards are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games as road underdogs. Find more NBA betting trends for Wizards vs. 76ers.
Against the spread (ATS) pick
With Joel Embiid having aggravated his knee, the Sixers are in a bit of trouble moving forward.
Philadelphia had a 3-0 lead in this series, so not advancing isn't a concern... yet. But that lead is now 3-1 and the Wizards should be able to keep things close in Philadelphia tonight. Embiid was an MVP frontrunner throughout the regular season, and he gets the job done at an elite level on both ends of the floor.
Without him, it’s fair to wonder whether or not the Sixers are even the more talented team in this series.
Without Embiid protecting the paint, Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal should be able to get downhill with ease. Ben Simmons is an unbelievable perimeter defender but having an anchor like Embiid behind him is definitely a luxury that he takes advantage of.
Dwight Howard can protect the rim still, but he’s not going to have the same two-way impact. And it’s not a guarantee that Howard will be able to comfortably handle a starter’s workload in the playoffs. Washington is a lousy defensive team but the team would be in decent shape if the Sixers are playing a lot of minutes with non-shooters like Simmons and Howard sharing the floor.
With that said, the Wizards did suffer a pretty big loss of their own. Davis Bertans is out for the remainder of the postseason, and his ability to space the floor for Washington’s dynamic backcourt cannot be overstated.
Without him, the Wizards are going to need somebody to step it up and knock down some outside shots, but his loss is still not as costly as the absence of Embiid.
PREDICTION: Wizards +6 (-110)
Over/Under pick
The Sixers have been scoring a ton of points against this lousy Wizards defense, and they actually shot at least 49.5 percent from the floor in the first three games of this series.
However, Philadelphia struggled offensively in Game 4, which just so happened to be when Embiid played just 11 minutes. Without the big man in the lineup, the Sixers aren’t going to be as good offensively, and that will likely result in them slowing this game down a bit.
They will need to really lock in defensively and value each possession, and that should lead to a relatively lower-scoring game.
PREDICTION: Under 229.5 (-110)
Player prop pick
Westbrook had 14 assists in Washington’s Game 4 victory over Philadelphia, and he’ll now need yet another strong night distributing the ball in order to keep this series going.
The Wizards can bring this thing back to D.C. with a chance to tie it up as long as they can get the job done on the road tonight, and Westbrook knows he has to rise to the occasion here. Without Embiid on the floor, look for the star to live in the paint.
Westbrook has shot just 31.8 percent from the field this series, including 3 for 19 in Game 4. Considering his ice-cold shooting, when he attacks the Philly defense tonight, Westbrook will surely do everything he can to find his teammates for open looks. Westbrook is averaging 12.3 assists per game in this series, but he should be even better in a must-win game.
PREDICTION: Russell Westbrook Over 12.5 Assists (+110)
Wizards vs 76ers betting card
- Wizards +6 (-110)
- Under 229.5 (-110)
- Russell Westbrook Over 12.5 Assists (+110)
Picks made on 6/02/2021 at 1:29 a.m. ET
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