Philadelphia 76ers at Atlanta Hawks Betting Preview
18 June 2021
Philadelphia is the top overall seed in the Eastern Conference, and they looked poised to at least get to the NBA Finals. The 76ers built up a 26-point lead in Game 5 on Wednesday night, but they suffered one of the worst collapses in NBA Playoff history.
Atlanta is a young team, but this is also a team that is not afraid of any team or of any moment. The Hawks are still a massive underdog to win the NBA title, but they are just one win away from reaching the Final Four.
The Philadelphia 76ers are three-point favorites over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.
Offense Needed For Sixers
After building up a massive lead on Wednesday night, the Sixers' offense completely fell apart. Joel Embiid and Seth Curry were the only two players from Philadelphia to even make a field goal in the second half.
Embiid is averaging 28.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game in the postseason, but Atlanta has done a nice job of frustrating the big man. Embiid is going to need help from his other two stars to win on Friday, and that’s hard to rely on.
Ben Simmons is averaging close to 9 assists per game, but he has completely fallen apart at the free-throw line. Simmons can no longer play in close games, and Tobias Harris has failed to step up late in games.
Young Starring For Atlanta
Hawks point guard Trae Young is averaging 29.4 points and 10.3 assists per game in the postseason. Young sparked the late rally in Game 5, and it doesn’t appear that the Sixers have an answer for him.
The Hawks are shooting just 35 percent from the three-point line, and that will need to improve as the playoffs go on. Atlanta is consistently looking for a second scoring option, but they have had numerous players step up this postseason.
The Hawks have also become a great defensive team, and that defense is frustrating and wearing down the Sixers.
Hawks Fly Past Sixers
This was supposed to be the year that the Sixers put it all together and won the Eastern Conference, but this team just continues to come up short in the playoffs. The confidence has been shaken for Philadelphia, and it’s hard to see them recovering on the road.
Atlanta plays with a ton of passion and energy, but they also have a future superstar leading the way. Trae Young has been remarkable in the postseason, and he is going to deliver another terrific performance on Friday.
Philadelphia is still the better overall team in this series, but Atlanta will prove once again that they have what it takes to beat the top seed. Bet the Atlanta Hawks money line as they come away with another stunning victory to eliminate the Philadelphia 76ers.
Keep up with your latest NBA news coverage and betting pick previews with The Dunkel Index.
