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Sixers vs. Nets NBA expert prediction and odds for Tuesday, March 5 (Back Brooklyn)

NBA betting preview, prediction and best bet for Sixers-Nets. 

By Shelby Dermer

Mar 4, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton (33) hangs on the rim after a dunk.
Mar 4, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton (33) hangs on the rim after a dunk. / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
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The Philadelphia 76ers are not dead yet. After Joel Embiid went down with a knee injury, Philadelphia suffered throughout the month of February (4-8 overall), but have rattled off back-to-back wins, including Sunday’s road victory over Dallas. Philadelphia, clinging to a half-game lead for the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference, is on the road again Tuesday night against the Nets.

Brooklyn, 2.5 games back of Atlanta for the final Play-In Tournament spot, lost as a monster home favorite to Memphis Monday night. Can they bounce back as a short underdog on Tuesday? Here’s the betting preview for Tuesday’s conference tilt with a best bet. 

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Sixers vs. Nets  odds, spread and total

Sixers vs. Nets  how to watch

  • Date: Tuesday, March 5
  • Game time: 7:30 p.m. EST
  • Venue: Barclays Center 
  • How to watch (TV): Bally Sports
  • Sixers record: 35-25
  • Nets record: 24-37

Sixers vs. Nets injury report

Philadelphia 76ers

  • Cameron Payne (illness): questionable

Brooklyn Nets

  • Day’Ron Sharpe (wrist): questionable
  • Ben Simmons (leg/back): out 

Sixers vs. Nets key players to watch

Sixers

Tobias Harris: The veteran power forward, along with Tyrese Maxey, have to carry the load offensively with Embiid sidelined. Over the last two games, Philadelphia has scored 241 points and Harris has accounted for 59 of them on 24-of-38 shooting. Harris had a 31-point, 12-rebound double-double in Friday’s win over Charlotte and turned in 28 points in Sunday’s victory over the Mavericks. 

Nets

Nic Claxton: Claxton gets the spotlight against the Embiid-less 76ers. The 6-foot-11 center is 13th in the NBA in rebounding while averaging 12 points per game and shooting 62.5% from the field (sixth in the league). Claxton opened March with a double-double (12 points, 13 rebounds) in a win over Atlanta, then scored 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting in Monday’s 106-102 loss to Memphis. 

Sixers vs. Nets prediction and pick

Can Philadelphia’s offense stay hot? The 76ers have been great at keeping their momentum this season, going 20-14 ATS after a win. The 76ers put up 120-plus points in back-to-back games, but that was against two sub-par defenses in Dallas (No. 22 in defensive rating) and Charlotte (No. 28).

Now, they’ll get a step up in class against a Brooklyn defense that is middle-of-the-road in most metrics, but ranks No. 15 in scoring, No. 10 in opposing shooting percentage and No. 7 in points in the paint allowed.

You can hurt the Nets from beyond the arc as Brooklyn ranks No. 25 against shots from 3-point range. However, that’s not Philadelphia’s bread and butter. Only 29.6% of Philadelphia’s points come from downtown, which ranks No. 28 in the NBA. 

On the other side, Brooklyn’s offense still has two great scorers at its disposal in Mikal Bridges and Cam Thomas. They’ll face a Philadelphia defense that has allowed 113 or more points in 11 of 14 games since Embiid suffered a knee injury.

Brooklyn is 12-8 ATS as a favorite this season. They improve on that mark Tuesday night at home. 

Game odds update periodically and are subject to change.

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