76ers vs Heat Game 1 Opening Odds and Spread – Miami Open as Early 4.5-Point Favorite

• The 76ers and Heat are set to meet in the Eastern Conference semifinals, with Game 1 scheduled for Monday night
• Miami has opened as an early 4.5-point home favorite
• Find the 76ers vs Heat odds, analysis, and preview below

After the Philadelphia 76ers escaped an epic 3-0 collapse on Thursday night against the Toronto Raptors, they now have a date set with the top-seed Miami Heat in what should be a thrilling Eastern Conference semifinal.

Game 1 is scheduled for Monday night in South Beach, with these two teams splitting their season series with a pair of wins apiece.

Miami wiped the floor with the Atlanta Hawks in five games on Tuesday, which means they will have had almost a week’s rest by the time tip-off arrives at FTX Arena.

76ers vs Heat Game 1 Odds

Odds as of April 28th at FanDuel.

The Heat opens up as an early 4.5-point favorite for the series opener vs Philadelphia and didn’t lose a single game at home in the first round.

76ers Betting Outlook

Philly took a commanding 3-0 lead against the Raptors, but after Joel Embiid’s thumb injury reared its ugly head, they lost two straight and were on the brink of going into a Game 7.

Heat vs. Sixers Round 2. 🔥🍿 pic.twitter.com/KvgtCnl5eY

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 29, 2022

Thankfully, the Sixers came out firing in the second half of Game 6, outscoring Toronto 70-36 and eventually winning 132-97. Embiid woke up and took over, dropping 33 points and James Harden also stepped up and played well, posting a stat line of 22 points, 15 assists, and six rebounds.

Doc Rivers’ squad will have it tough versus Miami’s stout defense, though. Embiid is clearly in pain and Bam Adebayo is capable of slowing him down to a certain extent, especially when he’s not at full strength.

Embiid vs Bam.
Harden vs Jimmy.

This is gonna be fun. pic.twitter.com/BHTK3QuL2p

— StatMuse (@statmuse) April 29, 2022

Although it’s extremely important the big man plays up to par, Harden, Tyrese Maxey, and Tobias Harris also need to be consistent on both ends. The Heat are deep, but if the Sixers play as a collective unit and continue to shoot the ball well, this will be a long series.

Heat Betting Outlook

Miami really shined in the opening round, absolutely shutting down Hawks star Trae Young, who lit the playoffs on fire last season. He collected just 15.4 points per game in five outings and averaged an atrocious 6.2 turnovers.

The Heat stifled him defensively, with the likes of Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, PJ Tucker, and even Bam at times making Trae’s life a living hell.

Trae Young against the Miami Heat:

Game 1: 8 points, 1/12 FG
Game 2: 25 points, 2/10 from three
Game 3: 24 points, 6/14 FG
Game 4: 9 points, 3/11 FG
Game 5: 11 points, 2/12 FG

CLAMPED. pic.twitter.com/bj879bLcbO

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) April 27, 2022

Offensively, Erik Spoelstra’s group thrived, with Butler averaging 30.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.3 dimes on 43% shooting from downtown. He truly carried Miami, but it was a welcomed sight to see Victor Oladipo step into the starting five in Game 5 in place of Butler and deliver.

Jimmy Buckets sat out the series clincher due to knee inflammation but should be good to go by Monday. Kyle Lowry is also nursing a hamstring injury and they’ll definitely need his grit back on both ends of the floor for what should be a tough series.

Jimmy Butler vs the Hawks:
30.5 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 5.3 apg, 2.8 spg pic.twitter.com/sXjKvCHMdJ

— Heat Nation (@HeatNationCP) April 28, 2022

Also, the Heat needs Herro to find his stroke. The third-year guard struggled immensely against the Hawks, putting up just 12.8 points per night on a putrid 17% clip from long range. He’s been a crucial piece of Miami’s success all season long and must be at his best in the second round.

76ers vs Heat Prediction

Early on, I’m liking the Heat as a 4.5-point favorite. They’re going to be well-rested and perform fantastically at home. I don’t expect any game in this series to be very lopsided, but this is a good bet for the time being.

The pick: Heat -4.5 (-110)