Can Miami’s Defense Slow Down Philly’s Firepower? Previewing Heat vs. 76ers Play-In Game with Betting Odds (April 17th)

Home / NBA News / Can Miami’s Defense Slow Down Philly’s Firepower? Previewing Heat vs. 76ers Play-In Game with Betting Odds (April 17th)

The road to the NBA playoffs is near. The final game of the first part of the Play-In Tournament will played in Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia 76ers are going to take on the Miami Heat for the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. The winner will face the New York Knicks in the first round. Let’s see the Heat vs 76ers Odds.

Heat Scoring Trends and Underdog Status:

• Miami’s offense has been inconsistent: Their overall season record for exceeding point totals (Over/Under) is just 35-47, though they’ve gone over in their last two games.
• Lower scoring game expected? The total points line for today’s game is set at 207.5, which is lower than their season average of 218.5 points per game.
• Heat travel well: On the road, Miami scores well, averaging a positive point differential of 1.6 points. They’ve also covered the spread (ATS) in their last five road games, going 24-14 overall on the road ATS.
• Recent high-scoring game: Their last outing was a high-scoring affair. With a combined score of 221 points against the Raptors, exceeding the projected total by 2.5 points.
• Underdog struggles: The Heat enter this game as underdogs, a position they haven’t fared well in recently. They’re just 11-23 overall as underdogs this season, though they’ve managed to split games against the spread (17-17) in those situations. It’s worth noting they’ve lost their last three games as underdogs.

76ers Riding Hot Streak and Dominant as Favorites:

• Recent blowout win: The 76ers are on fire, winning their last eight games. Their most recent victory was a lopsided 107-86 win over the Nets, staying well under the expected point total (193 points vs. 214 O/U line).
• Dominating as favorites: Philly has been a force to be reckoned with as favorites this season, boasting a strong 38-13 record. They come into this game heavily favored again.
• Strong record against the spread: The 76ers have covered the spread (ATS) in an impressive 10 games in a row and hold a solid overall ATS record of 49-32. At home, they’re even better against the spread at 24-16.
• Lower scoring game expected? Despite their high-scoring season average (226.1 points per game), today’s total points line is set at 207.5, which is lower than their usual mark.
• Overall strong record: The 76ers currently sit at 47-35 overall, ranking 7th in the East and 3rd in the Atlantic Division.

Game Information

MIAMI HEAT vs PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

Location of the Game: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Date and Time: Wednesday, April 17th 7:00 ET

Reason: 2024 NBA Eastern Conference Play-In matchup

How to watch: watchlivesports.co

AI Predictions and Sport Betting AI Picks

These are the NBA Computer Picks for tonight’s NBA Schedule game:

TEAM	RECORD	AI PICKS		Sport Betting AI PICKS
HEAT	46-36	113	219	SPREAD MIA +5.5	MONEYLINE MIA +175	TOTAL OVER 207.5
76ERS	47-35	106

• AI Picks: Miami Heat 113 – Philadelphia 76ers 106
• Sport Betting AI Picks: ATS Heat +5.5 | ML Heat +175 | OVER 207.5

Miami Heat vs Philadelphia 76ers Head-to-Head

• Heat travel well against 76ers: In their last five road games against the 76ers, Miami has a winning record of 4-1.
• Heat hold ATS advantage historically: Expanding the view to the last ten matchups overall, Miami has performed well against the spread (ATS) with a 6-4 record.
• Mixed bag for points scored in Philly: When looking at the last three meetings in Philadelphia specifically, the over/under record is split at 2-1, with games averaging a combined score of 210 points.
• Recent scoring trends unclear: Overall, the over/under record in the last three Heat vs 76ers matchups between the two teams is just 1-2, making recent scoring trends a bit difficult to predict.

Heat vs 76ers Odds

Next, we have the NBA odds for this NBA Matchup.

Miami Heat Game Analysis

• Heat struggle to score, especially on the road: Miami’s offense ranks near the bottom of the league, averaging only 110.1 points per game overall and a meager 108.1 points on the road. Their pace of play is also slow, ranking 29th in the NBA.
• Butler and Herro lead the scoring: According to the NBA player stats, Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro have been Miami’s offensive bright spots. Butler is averaging 18.6 points on a strong 55.6% shooting in his last five games. While Herro is putting up 21.8 points per game over that same stretch. Both players average 20.8 points per game for the season.
• Elite defense fuels Heat’s success: Despite their offensive woes, the Heat boast one of the league’s best defenses. They rank 3rd in points allowed overall (108.4) and even better on the road (106.6), the best mark in the NBA. Opponents consistently score below their season averages against Miami (75.6% of games).
• Limiting free throws and three-pointers: The Heat are stingy defensively in several areas. They rank 3rd in fewest free throws allowed per game (19.2) and 10th in overall shooting percentage allowed (46.9%). Their recent defensive performance has been even more impressive, holding opponents to a league-best 28.5% three-point shooting over the last five games.
• Injury Update: Miami will be without Josh Richardson (shoulder) and Terry Rozier (neck), but Duncan Robinson (back) is probable.

Philadelphia 76ers Game Analysis

• Embiid on a scoring tear: Joel Embiid has been on fire offensively, averaging a whopping 33 points per game on over 50% shooting from the field and nearly 39% from three-point range over his last three games.
• Maxey adds scoring punch: Tyrese Maxey has also been a key contributor, averaging 28.2 points per game on solid shooting over his last four games.
  Sixers solid overall scorers: Based on the NBA team stats, Philadelphia ranks 15th in the NBA in scoring (114.6 points per game), though their three-point shooting is just average (36% made threes). Their pace of play is also around the middle of the pack (19th).
• Strong recent defensive performance: Defense has been a bright spot for the 76ers lately. They rank 9th in the league in points allowed overall (111.5) and have been even better recently, giving up just 104.6 points per game over their last five contests. Opponents have struggled from three against them, especially recently, shooting just 34.8% from deep in the last five games.
• Free throws a concern: One weakness for Philadelphia is their free throw defense. They rank a lowly 25th in the NBA in free throws allowed per game (23.5).
• Injury Update: The 76ers have a few injury concerns, according to the NBA Injury Report. Joel Embiid (knee) and Kenyon Martin Jr. (toe) are questionable. Robert Covington (knee) and De’Anthony Melton (injury recovery) are both out.

Ready to take your Heat vs 76ers Odds and sports betting to the next level with AI? Follow us @SportBettingAI on X and keep reading for continuous AI-powered betting picks.