The early set of NBA games on Sunday will include the Brooklyn Nets as they face the Philadelphia 76ers on April 14th, 2024 (1:10 PM ET). This is one of those late-season games where one team -- and only one team -- has a lot on the line while the other has nothing to play for.
The Brooklyn Nets have been eliminated from contention this season and the game is therefore meaningless for them. Meanwhile, Philadelphia can hope to avoid the play-in tournament with a win or at least safeguard the No. 7 seed. The 76ers are favored in the game at -14.5 (bet365), a spread that surely reflects the situation where only the 76ers have a meaningful interest in the outcome. My Nets vs 76ers prediction is that Brooklyn will win on the handicap.
NBA Game Preview at a Glance
Away: Brooklyn Nets
Home: Philadelphia 76ers
Game time: Sunday, April 14th, 2024 @ 1:10 PM ET
Nets vs 76ers odds (home team's spread): -14.5 (bet365)
Brooklyn vs Philadelphia Prediction: Recent NBA News
The Nets played on Saturday, a game that they lost to the New York Knicks by four. That's not a bad spread given that Brooklyn had nothing to play for.
In the broader context, Brooklyn has not played that poorly lately. They have gone 6-4 in their last ten games despite playing some meaningless games during that stretch. That is a point that anyone thinking of backing Philadelphia heavily in this game should acknowledge. Brooklyn has recent wins over Indiana and Chicago, teams that were in need of victories at the times of their respective games.
Brooklyn Nets injuries: recent news
Cameron Johnson (toe) was a rule out in the team's last game as was Day'ron Sharpe (wrist). These are bench players with updates pending for Sunday's game. Meanwhile, Dennis Schroder's season is over. He was a helpful player with Brooklyn since coming over from Toronto.
Double-check for playing status updates with Brooklyn (16:29 ET time of writing): Team's Depth Chart
Philadelphia might be one of those teams that peak at the right time. They have won seven straight heading into Sunday's game. With a win on Sunday, the team would match their winning streak from near the start of the season.
Philadelphia 76ers: Recent Form Alert
Formerly: 39 - 35 heading into March 31st, 2024
Currently: 46 - 35 (overall)
Recent form: 7 - 0 since March 31st, 2024
Recent winning rate: 1.000
Philadelphia 76ers injuries: recent news
Joel Embiid is listed as questionable for Sunday's game versus the Nets (left knee). He missed all of February and March. At this stage of the season, you have to think that Philadelphia will be handling him carefully. Yet, the game at hand is an important one. Bettors will have to watch this injury carefully. De'Anthony Melton is also questionable as of Saturday afternoon, the team's backup shooting guard. I don't think you can back Philadelphia to cover -14.5 in this situation.
Double-check status updates Philadelphia (16:29 ET time of writing):: Team's Depth Chart
Nets vs 76ers Prediction: Betting Tips
You have to think that +14.5 is big on the Brooklyn Nets for this game (bet365). That they have nothing to play for in the standings might not be the best angle on this team. They have been playing meaningless or nearly meaningless basketball for a little while now. It started to look clear that they were not going to make the play-in tournament even before they were mathematically eliminated. They have only lost by 15 or more points in two games of their last 14.
You could back the Nets and hope that Embiid misses the game. Conversely, you could hope he sees reduced minutes. But the main point is that Brooklyn does not look like your typical tanker and that could make +14.5 a big handicap for them at -110 (bet365).
Additional reading: ATP Ranking Projections
