76ers vs Nets Odds and Picks

• The Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers play on January 7th, 2021
• Two of the Eastern Conference’s contenders meet for the first time this season
• Get the latest odds, betting preview and pick below

With Kevin Durant isolating and Spencer Dinwiddie out for the year, the Brooklyn Nets are 2.5-point underdogs for their first matchup of the season with the Philadelphia 76ers. Philly comes into this game owning the best record in the NBA after beating the Washington Wizards on Wednesday.

After high-profile blowout wins over the Warriors and Celtics to start the season, the Nets have stuttered. They are 4-4 on the young campaign following a 34-point triumph over the Utah Jazz on January 5th.

Philadelphia 76ers vs Brooklyn Nets Odds

Odds taken Jan. 7 at FanDuel

MVP Embiid

Joel Embiid is an early frontrunner for MVP. The Cameroonian big man pulled the Sixers past Washington on Wednesday, notching a season-high 38 points. Embiid’s minutes will be managed carefully this season, but  as of right now, there is no indication he will sit out on Thursday.

The Sixers’ only loss came when Embiid sat out against the Cavaliers. Embiid owns a +31.6 net rating so far this season. The shooting of Danny Green and Seth Curry has made his life so much easier, and there is a notable improvement in his recognition of double teams.

Doc Rivers has also put Embiid and Ben Simmons on the floor together more than Brett Brown did last season. They are averaging around 27 minutes per contest on the court in tandem – Philly is outscoring opponents by a healthy margin in those minutes.

And now, tonight, Joel Embiid (+36.4 individual net rating coming into tonight) records:

38 points
8 rebounds
5 assists
3 steals
3 blocks

and either scored or assisted the team’s final 17 points in securing the win. https://t.co/HYOrlaaL9H

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) January 7, 2021

Jarrett Allen has played well so far this season. DeAndre Jordan has been up and down. Neither are going to stop Embiid, and the Nets will have to aggressively send help, but it changes this game if they can at least hold their own and avoid the sort of humiliation Embiid has subjected other centers to.

Kyrie Takes Over

Steve Nash made drastic changes for the game with Utah. Bruce Brown, Allen, and Jeff Green all started. There was an emphasis on defense, and it paid off. Whether those alterations stick for this game remains to be seen, but one thing that is certain is the role of Kyrie Irving. With no Durant, the responsibility of the 2016 NBA champion is enormous as a facilitator and a scorer.

The All-Star guard was efficient in his 29 minutes against the Jazz. Of his 19 shots, 12 were makes, and he added five assists for good measure. The line-ups Nash runs with Irving will be fascinating against the Sixers – Brooklyn needs size, but will Irving be able to shoulder such a heavy offensive burden?

Kyrie is unstoppable right now 😳 pic.twitter.com/YPWtnyQ2vA

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 6, 2021

Philly is the best defensive team in the NBA by a distance. Simmons and Embiid have been elite on that end, Danny Green has kept his usual high standards, and Tobias Harris has improved.

Bizarrely, the Nets have reached a point where they are a bit short on ball handling. Irving is going to have to do everything on offense when Caris LeVert is on the bench. He could easily take 30+ shots on Thursday – he will have kept a keen eye on Bradley Beal’s 60-point performance.

Sixers Keep Rolling

Brooklyn’s eighth-best defensive record flatters their performance. Teams are getting plenty of shots at the rim, and they have ridden some fluke poor shooting nights from opponents. Nash bolstered the defense with his line-up changes last time out, but with no Durant, there’s a challenge to strike the balance between offense and defense with this roster.

Scott Brooks on the Sixers: "This is the best team in basketball. They're playing at a high, high level."

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) January 7, 2021

Fatigue is the biggest concern with backing the Sixers to win this. This is the third of three games in four days, and they were made to work for the win over Washington despite holding a commanding lead for much of the game. This is a test of Embiid’s supposedly improved conditioning.

Philly’s schedule is getting tougher. We will soon find out how legitimate their 7-1 start is, but they have got lucky to face Brooklyn without Durant. The Sixers are 7-1 ATS – back them to make it 8-1.

Pick: Philadelphia 76ers -2.5 (-110)