76ers vs. Heat: Game Notes, Odds, & Prediction for Game 2
On Monday night, the Philadelphia 76ers fired up their second-round playoff series against the Miami Heat on the road. As expected, the Sixers tipped off the series without their superstar big man Joel Embiid on the floor.
As Embiid suffered an orbital fracture and a mild concussion during Philadelphia’s Game 6 victory over the Toronto Raptors in the first round, the big man couldn’t be cleared for action as early as Monday.
The Sixers were confident in their ability to implement the next-man-up mentality and steal a win in Game 1 on the road earlier this week, but nothing went according to plan. Despite forming a comeback and taking the lead after falling into a double-digit deficit in the first half, the Sixers ran out of steam when the second half started.
In the end, the Sixers took on a 106-92 loss. Now, they trail 0-1 in the series going into Game 2 on Wednesday night. Once again, the 76ers will face the Heat without Joel Embiid on the floor. Although they failed to overcome the big man’s absence in the first outing, the Sixers are confident they can turn things around and put up a good fight in Miami before the series heads to Philly for the first time.
Plan on tuning in to watch the Sixers and the Heat battle it out for Game 2? Here is all of the key game notes and betting information you need to know!
Key Game Notes
Sixers were 27-14 on the road this season
Heat were 29-12 when playing at home this year
The total has gone under in five of Philly’s last six games
Sixers are 3-6 against the spread in their last nine games against Miami
Heat are 10-3 against the spread in their last 13 games
The total has gone under in the last five Heat games
Injury Report
Heat
Kyle Lowry - Out
Tyler Herro - Questionable
Caleb Martin - Out
Max Strus - Out
PJ Tucker - Out
Gabe Vincent - Out
76ers
Joel Embiid - Out
Game Odds
Spread: Sixers +7.5
Moneyline: PHI +310, MIA -400
Total O/U: 207.5
*All Odds are Provided by SI Sportsbook
Prediction
Spread: Sixers +7.5
Moneyline: MIA -400
Total O/U: Over 207.5
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.