Miami Heat vs Philadelphia 76ers: Odds, Keys, And Players To Watch

The Miami Heat (47-24 and 1st in the Eastern Conference) are back on the road after a seven-game home stretch, as they head to Philadelphia to take on the 76ers (43-26, 2nd in the Eastern Conference) at 7:30 pm Eastern Time on Monday.

The Heat are coming off a, 120-108, victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, as they clinched the Southeast Division championship and will look to keep the lead in the Eastern Conference as they make the push towards the NBA Playoffs.

They will be taking on a 76er’s team that will have the NBA’s leader in scoring, Joel Embiid and his newly added superfriend, James Harden, as they look to continue to click at a high level. At least, that’s the belief you have to take into the game.

Players To Watch

• Tyler Herro: Herro, who put up 26 points and seven rebounds in the win over the Thunder, will be the main player to watch in this matchup with the 76ers. He is playing a key role coming off the bench when it comes to assisting his teammates, making plays on both ends of the court, and driving to the basket when he gets an open lane.

• Bam Adebayo: Adebayo, who put up 19 points and nine rebounds last game, will be in a key matchup against Joel Embiid. He will need to get off to a hot start that includes controlling the boards, shooting decently from the field, and playing tough defense against the league’s leader in points per game. Bam will need to maintain a share of the paint for Miami if they look to win this one.

• Kyle Lowry: Lowry, who put up 16 points and four assists against the Thunder, will look to be a factor from behind the arc again in this one, at least, he should be. He would go 4/7 from the three-point line against the Thunder. He will also be looking to get other players involved by creating plays for open teammates, as he does every game.

The Miami Heat have another tough matchup with an Eastern contender Monday night. They’ll head to Philly to face Joel Embiid, James Harden, and their 76ers.

Keys To The Game

1. Keep Embiid From Killing You At The Basket: Joel Embiid will be a tough matchup for the Miami Heat to guard in this one. Miami will need to keep him from finding his shots early, hopefully preventing him from getting into a rhythm.

2. Lockdown The Three-Point Line: Miami will also have to contend with James Harden, who is not afraid to knock down three-point shots at will. The Heat will need to play tough defense on Harden and not allow him to explode from deep.

3. Keep Your Foot On The Opponent If You Get It There: Miami has been dealing with an issue for most of the season when it comes to closing out games. Miami has to get the lead early and not allow the 76ers to have a chance to come back in the final moments of the game.

Miami Heat vs Philadelphia 76ers Odds And Prediction

Odds And Information Provided Courtesy Of WynnBET

Moneyline: MIA +112 PHI -135

Spread: MIA +2

Total: 218.5

Prediction

Miami has claimed the Southeast Division championship, however, they can’t stop there. They have to treat these next few games as must-win games for the remainder of the season.

If Miami controls the game early, does not allow Embiid and Harden to get going, and plays a clean game, all around, they should walk out of Philadelphia with a win, 110-105.

Especially since Philly will be the second night of a back-to-back, which begs of if Harden or Embiid actually plays on Monday—but let’s assume they do.