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Opening 76ers vs Hawks Series Odds – Philadelphia -208 Favorites Over Trae Young & Atlanta

Robert Duff

by Robert Duff in NBA Basketball

Updated Jun 4, 2021 · 8:53 AM PDT

Joel Embiid dunking
Joel Embiid's knee injury could prove to be a major factor as the Philadelphia 76ers face the Atlanta Hawks in the second round of the NBA playoffs. (Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire)
  • The Philadelphia 76ers are -208 favorites to defeat the Atlanta Hawks in their NBA Eastern Conference second-round playoff series
  • Philly won two of three regular-season games from Atlanta
  • The Sixers and Hawks are meeting in the postseason for the first time since 1982

As the Philadelphia 76ers seek to end a two-decade Eastern Conference final drought, the latest team to stand in their way is the Atlanta Hawks.

Surprisingly, even the Hawks have gone to the conference final more recently than the Sixers. Atlanta gained an Eastern Conference final appearance in 2014-15. The Hawks were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

It’s been exactly 20 years since Allen Iverson led the 76ers to the 2000-01 NBA Finals, but oddsmakers are confident that this will be the year that Philadelphia again has the answer. The Sixers are -208 favorites to defeat the Hawks in this series. Philly won two of three from Atlanta during the regular season.

76ers vs Hawks Opening Series Odds

Team Odds at BetMGM
Philadelphia 76ers -208
Atlanta Hawks +170

Odds as of June 2nd

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This will be the first playoff meeting between the 76ers and the Hawks since 1982. Philly swept a best-of-three first-round set. Philadelphia also beat Atlanta 4-1 in a 1979-80 conference semifinal series.

Moving on Quickly

Both the 76ers and Hawks were quick to advance through the first round. Top-seeded Philadelphia toppled the #8 Washington Wizards in five games.

Meanwhile, the #5 Hawks upended the favored #4 New York Knicks, also in five games. Atlanta is through to Round 2 of the postseason for the first time since 2015-16. The Sixers are in the second round for the third time in four years.

Forever Young

Atlanta is a deep team with a veteran coach in Nate McMillan. However, the straw that stirs their drink is guard Trae Young.

In his first NBA playoff series, Young was dominant. He joined Michael Jordan as the only players to post three successive 30-point playoff games against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

The Sixers will need to contain Young in order to take this set. Fortunately, Philadelphia is well-stocked in experienced defenders who will be capable of keeping Young in check.

Embiid’s Knee a Key

It just wouldn’t be the playoffs is Sixers all-star center Joel Embiid wasn’t ailing in some manner. Suffering a small meniscus tear in his right knee, Embiid didn’t play in the Game 5 ouster against Washington. He’s listing as day-to-day on the Philly injury report.

In 2018, Embiid suffered a broken orbital bone. The following spring, he played through the postseason battling left knee tendinitis, as well as a stomach virus.

Last year, Embiid was healthy for the playoffs. However, Philly lost co-star Ben Simmons to a knee injury.

It’s Still Philly

Even with the questions surrounding Embiid’s status, Philly is still going to prove too much for Atlanta to handle. the Sixers are too deep. Simmons, Tobias Harris and Seth Curry are more than enough to counter the Young effect.

All three of them – Curry (30 points), Harris (29) and Simmons (19) – went off in the Game 5 victory over Washington. In Atlanta’s lone win against the 76ers this season, Philly was missing Simmons and Harris through injury.

A team as lacking in a playoff resume, the overachieving Knicks were the perfect matchup for the Hawks in Round 1. Things won’t fall so neatly into place in the conference semifinals.

  • Pick: Philadelphia 76ers (-208)
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