The 8-seed Miami Heat head to Philly to face the 7-seed 76ers on Wednesday night at 7:00 PM ET on ESPN. It’s the first round of the NBA Play-In Tournament. Can the 76ers cover the 5.5-point spread as home favorites? Keep reading for our Heat vs. 76ers betting prediction.
The Miami Heat are 46-36 straight up in the regular season this year. They are 40-40-2 ATS this season.
The Philadelphia 76ers are 47-35 straight up in the regular season this year. They are 48-34 ATS this season.
Heat vs. 76ers Matchup & Betting Odds
551 Miami Heat (+5.5) at 552 Philadelphia 76ers (-5.5); o/u 207.5
7:00 p.m. ET, Wednesday, April 17, 2024
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
TV: ESPN
Heat vs. 76ers Public Betting Information
Our NBA Public Betting Information page indicates that 86% of public bettors are currently backing the 76ers when it comes to the spread. This information is subject to change throughout the day, however, so be sure to check the link so you’re receiving the most up-to-date public betting data.
Miami Heat Daily Fantasy Spin
Heat shooting guard Terry Rozier will miss Wednesday’s Play-In Tournament game against the 76ers. He’s dealing with neck spasms. Rozier is averaging 16.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game in 30 starts for Miami this season.
Miami forward Duncan Robinson has been nursing a back injury, but he’s probable to play against Philadelphia on Wednesday. Robinson is averaging 12.9 points and 2.8 made three-pointers per game in 28.0 minutes per contest this season.
Philadelphia 76ers Daily Fantasy Spin
76ers center Joel Embiid (knee) and power forward KJ Martin (toe) are both questionable to play against the Heat on Wednesday. The bigger loss of the two would be Embiid as he’s putting up 34.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game in 39 starts for the Sixers this year.
Philadelphia shooting guard De’Anthony Melton (back) and power forward Robert Covington (knee) will both miss Wednesday’s Play-In Tournament game. Melton could be back in action sometime this month while Covington has been ruled out for the rest of the season.
Heat vs. 76ers NBA Betting Trends
Miami is 1-2 ATS in their last 3 games overall.
Miami is 0-2 ATS in their last 2 games against Philadelphia.
Philadelphia is 10-0 ATS in their last 10 games overall.
Philadelphia is 24-17 ATS as the home team this season.
Heat vs. 76ers NBA Prediction:
Miami has been inconsistent for most of the season. The Heat are 4-3 straight up in their last 7 games, but two of those wins came against a Toronto team that was blatantly tanking. What’s worse, the Heat won’t have shooting guard Terry Rozier for their game against the Sixers on Wednesday. Rozier has been an impact player since coming over at the trading deadline, averaging 16.4 points per contest in 31.5 minutes per game. Miami will likely turn to a combination of Patty Mills and Delon Wright to fill those minutes. Both of those players are averaging under 6 points per game this season.
Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid is officially listed as questionable, but there seems to be a lot of optimism that he’ll play on Wednesday. Embiid is one of the best scorers in the league as he put up 34.7 points per game while shooting 52.9% from the floor in 39 games this season. The Sixers are 31-8 when Joel Embiid plays and just 16-27 when he sits out. I know this will be a difficult matchup for Embiid, as Heat center Bam Adebayo typically defends him well, but I still think the big man from Cameroon is primed for a standout performance. For that reason among others, I like Philly to win and cover at home on Wednesday night.
