76ers vs Wizards Game 3 Odds, Picks and Injury Report

• The 76ers visit the Wizards for Game 3 of their 1st Round series on Saturday, May 29th
• Philly is currently up 2-0 after back-to-back wins on home court
• Get the odds, preview, injury report, and pick below

The top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers have cooked the Washington Wizards through the first two contests of this 1st Round encounter. Now, they’ll travel to the nation’s capital for Game 3 on Saturday, May 29th, tip-off 7 PM ET.

Wednesday’s meeting saw the Sixers collect a dominant 120-95 win, led by Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, who both posted 22 points. Bradley Beal has been showing out for DC, but Russell Westbrook has struggled to score. He also left Game 2 early after tweaking his ankle. The veteran’s status for Saturday is unknown at this point, but he didn’t practice on Friday.

76ers vs Wizards Odds – Game 3

Odds as of May 28th.

Injury Report

The 76ers have only one doubtful starter in shooting guard Seth Curry. He left Wednesday’s contest with a sore ankle and didn’t return. There is no update on his status for Game 3 at this point, but if he does miss out, expect George Hill and Furkan Korkmaz to get more minutes alongside Simmons in the Philadelphia backcourt.

For the Wizards, Westbrook’s ankle seems to be bothering him. If the triple-double king does end up playing, he won’t likely be at full strength. Ish Smith or Davis Bertans will slide into the starting lineup if Russ is sidelined. Thomas Bryant (knee) and Deni Avdija (ankle) are out until next season.

76ers vs Wizards Projected Lineups

Philly Flat Out Dominating

While the series opener was much closer with the Sixers winning by just 7 points, Game 2 was a different story. Washington did a better job limiting Embiid’s production, but Simmons rose to the occasion for Doc Rivers’ squad.

The Aussie led Philly offensively, also grabbing 9 boards and dishing out 8 assists. Simmons was attacking the rim at will while also showing some promise from mid-range with several tough jumpers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylU07Nx_ph0

Then from a defensive standpoint, he did a tremendous job containing Beal. Even though the Wizards star dropped 33, he frankly could’ve had more if it wasn’t for Philly’s best defensive player locking him down on several possessions.

Points in the paint were also a huge X-factor. The 76ers outscored DC 68-50 inside, with Simmons doing most of his damage at the cup. In fact, he scored 12 of his 22 points in the first quarter alone.

19 PTS | 9 REB | 1 STL

Playoff @tobias31 is on a tear.

📹⤵️ pic.twitter.com/b46tPInKhf

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) May 27, 2021

In total, the Sixers’ Big 3 combined for 63 points on the night. Tobias Harris collected 19 in just 23 minutes on the floor after erupting for 37 in Game 1. With this trio, Rivers has the perfect combination of interior scoring, shooting, and buckets in transition thanks to the speed of Simmons. The Wizards have frankly had no answer for this offense.

Washington’s Shooting Needs to Improve

After shooting 40% from deep in Game 1, Scott Brooks’ team was absolutely dreadful on Wednesday, draining a measly 8% of their attempts from three-point range. Then at the line, they also went just 19 for 30.

As for actually generating points, Beal isn’t getting much help. He scored 24 of his points in the first half alone after Simmons contained him in the final two periods. While it’s unknown if Westbrook plays in this decisive Game 3, he really needs to start producing.

Don’t get me wrong, he was instrumental in the last contest with 9 boards and 11 assists, but Russ is relied on to score as well. Without him showing out alongside Beal, there is absolutely no chance the Wizards are even winning a game in this series.

Scenes from today's practice back in D.C. 📸

Excited to play in front of our fans this weekend for Games 3 and 4 of #WizSixers! pic.twitter.com/d3gBxT3wXL

— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) May 28, 2021

Bertans is probably their best shooter and he had 0 points in 23 minutes in Game 2. The Latvian will need to find his touch from deep on Saturday, especially if Westbrook is absent.

Prediction

Philadelphia is a 6-point favorite, and there’s a strong argument to be made that the spread is too low. They’re a two-headed monster and to be honest, Washington can’t stop them right now. Just based on reports, there’s a high chance Russ doesn’t play here and without their best facilitator and rebounder, I don’t give them much of a chance.

The Sixers will roll to another convincing win and take a stranglehold on their 1st Round matchup. With the Moneyline so steep, there is definitely more value in the spread.

Pick: Philadelphia 76ers -6 (-110)