Philadelphia 76ers vs Washington Wizards prediction for Thursday’s game two of the Eastern Conference first round of the playoffs at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. The number one ranked 76ers in the regular season take on the Washington Wizards who had to go through a play-in tournament to be ranked eighth. Read on for our free prediction and betting tips.
Philadelphia 76ers
The second-best team in the regular season of the NBA Philadelphia 76ers entered their first match of the playoff series against the Wizards as firm favorites and they didn’t disappoint their fans. It was a closer game than anticipated as the 76ers kept their distance from their opponents throughout the match but not in a fully dominant fashion.
It wasn’t the greatest shooting game for the 76ers as they made 49% of their field goals. But T. Harris stepped up his game and contributed with 37 points accompanied by J. Embed’s 30 which helped coach Doc Rivers’ team hold off the Wizards stubborn challenge. Coming into the second game, Rivers knows his team has to keep their defensive momentum against the Wizards’ top scorers to keep them quiet and get that necessary 2-0 lead.
Washington Wizards
The Wizards had finished eighth in the regular season and took part in a play-in tournament and confirmed their eighth place after losing to the Celtics and beating the Pacers. Washington proved they are not an easy team in their game against the 76ers as coach Scott Brooks’ men played a very good game but couldn’t keep T. Harris from leading the 76ers to victory.
Washington were better in many aspects of the game. They shot better with 55% from all distances and had a slight advantage in the total rebounds. Coach Brooks needs to work on his defensive rebound though as the 76ers had 13 offensive rebounds. Another important aspect is that the Wizards had 16 turnovers while forcing their opponents for just 11. The Wizards might want to play even harder defensively to try and tie the series.
Key Stats
Philadelphia 76ers vs Washington Wizards Prediction
The 76ers are expected to go far in the playoffs this season. Coach Doc Rivers is one of the best coaches in the NBA and knows exactly how to utilize his players during matches.
The 76ers can still improve in game two especially from the arc as they were just below their season average in game one. J. Embid and his teammates beat the Wizards four times already this season and we don’t see the visitors capable of making it harder for the home team than they did in game one.
We predict the 76ers to extend their lead to 2-0. For our second prediction, we think backing Russel Westbrook with over 11 assists is a good bet.
Philadelphia 76ers vs Washington Wizards Betting Tips
Spread 76ers -8.0 1.90 at bet365
Russel Westbrook over 11.5 Assists 1.71 at bet365