Philadelphia 76ers vs. Washington Wizards Game 3 Betting Preview/Player Prop
29 May 2021
Philadelphia earned the number 1 seed in the Eastern Conference after a regular season that saw them go 49-23. The 76ers have struggled in the playoffs in recent seasons, but they have played well so far in this series.
Washington went on a remarkable run near the end of the season to snag the number eight seed in the East. The Wizards were massive underdogs coming into this matchup, and they need to turn the tide in a hurry.
The Philadelphia 76ers are six-point favorites over the Washington Wizards in Game 3.
Simmons Shining For Sixers
Ben Simmons is averaging a triple-double for Philadelphia so far in this series, and the Wizards have no answer for him. Simmons still doesn’t do much scoring for the Sixers, but he has been great in leading this offense.
Tobias Harris leads the team with 28.0 points per game in this series, and that has taken some of the pressure off of Joel Embiid. Embiid has battled foul trouble in the first two games, but look for him to break out in this one.
The Sixers played great on the defensive end of the floor in Game 3, and they will likely look to do the same in this matchup on Saturday night.
Wizards Must Make Shots
Russell Westbrook was injured in the Game 2 loss for the Wizards, and his status for this game is questionable. It’s hard to see Westbrook missing this game entirely, but he could be playing at less than 100%.
Westbrook has been putting up monster numbers all season long, and Bradley Beal is averaging 33 points per game this series. Those two stars are going to need some more help from their teammates if Washington is going to pick up a win.
The Wizards are shooting just 23 percent from the three-point line in this series, and that must change as well. A hot shooting night could propel Washington into potentially stunning the Sixers and pulling off this upset.
Sixers Just Too Much For Wizards
Playing at home is going to give the Wizards a bit of a boost, but it’s going to take more than some home energy to win a game. Washington is not nearly as deep as Philadelphia, but they do have two stars that can keep this game close.
Beal and Westbrook will do all they can to keep Washington in this game, and that should work for the first three quarters. The Sixers just have so much talent, and they will eventually wear down the Wizards in this one.
This game won’t be a blowout, but the final score will be close to a double-digit win for Philadelphia. Bet the 76ers -6.0 over the Wizards as Philadelphia wins Game 3 of this NBA Playoff series.
Player Prop
Tobias Harris (-109) Over 21.5 Points
The reunion between Doc Rivers and Tobias Harris has done much to reenergize Harris’ game on the offensive end. During the regular season, he averaged 19.5 ppg with a career-high 52.1 FG percentage and 89.2 FT percentage. His 39.4 3Pt percentage was his highest since Rivers coached him with the Clippers back in 2018-19.
The Sixers benefitted from Harris’ offensive production in Game 1 against the Wizards as he scored 28 points in the first half en route to a playoff career-high 37 points. He wasn’t needed as much in the Game 2 blowout as he logged just 23 minutes, but still finished with 19 points on 69.2 percent shooting.
With the venue shifting to Washington for today’s Game 3, we’ll look for the Sixers to continue to rely on the 28-year-old power forward for scoring punch and take Harris (-109) to go over 21.5 points.
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