The top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers have advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals for the fourth straight season and will open their second-round series against the visiting Atlanta Hawks on Sunday afternoon. The Sixers opened the postseason by dispatching of the Washington Wizards in five games but they have a major injury concern due to the uncertain status of star center Joel Embiid, who is dealing with a knee injury that forced him to sit out the series finale against Washington. The fifth-seeded Hawks arrive in Philadelphia riding a wave of confidence after easily ousting the New York Knicks in the opening round.
Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET from the Wells Fargo Center. William Hill Sportsbook lists Philadelphia as 3.5-point favorites, while the over-under for total points scored is 220.5 in the latest Hawks vs. Sixers odds. Before you make any Sixers vs. Hawks picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned over $9,100 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks over the past two-plus seasons. The model is up almost $900 on its top-rated picks this season and entered the second full week of the 2021 NBA Playoffs on a stunning 100-66 roll on top-rated NBA picks against the spread dating back to last season. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Hawks vs. Sixers in the NBA Playoffs 2021. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for Sixers vs. Hawks:
- Hawks vs. 76ers spread: Philadelphia -3.5
- Hawks vs. 76ers over-under: 220.5 points
- Hawks vs. 76ers money line: Sixers -165, Hawks +145
- ATL: The Hawks are 27-11 since Nate McMillan took over as coach on March 1
- PHI: The 76ers were 10-11 without Embiid in the lineup
Why the Hawks can cover
Leading scorer Trae Young pretty much had his way against the Knicks in the opening round, averaging nearly a double-double at 29.2 points and 9.8 assists. He became only the third player in history to lead his team in points and assists in each of his first five postseason contests, joining Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson and George Mikan. Young sat out a drubbing by the Sixers on April 28 but scored a team-high 32 points against them two nights later.
Clint Capela, who finished second in the league in rebounds and blocked shots, averaged a double-double (10.0 points, 13.4 boards) in the series against New York and could dominate the glass in the absence of Embiid. Second-leading scorer Bogdan Bogdanovic missed the last two meetings vs. Philadelphia, but he scored at least 20 points in 17 of the last 23 regular-season games. John Collins averaged 16.3 points and 7.0 rebounds in the last three vs. New York.
Why the Sixers can cover
Philadelphia's chances greatly improve with the presence of Embiid, a finalist for NBA MVP honors who averaged 28.5 points and 10.6 rebounds during the regular season. The 7-footer had a pair of quiet offensive games in a pair of blowouts of the Hawks on April 26 and April 28, scoring 17 and 18 points while playing just 25 minutes per contest. Embiid had a pair of 30-point performances against the Wizards before he was injured in Game 4 of the series.
Offense was not an issue for the Sixers in the back-to-back wins vs. Atlanta in late April, seizing control in the first half of each game and piling up 127 and 126 points. Philadelphia had the league's No. 6 scoring defense at 108.1 points per game in the regular season and limited the Hawks to a season-low 83 points on April 28. Guard Ben Simmons averaged nearly a triple-double, while forward Tobias Harris averaged a double-double vs. the Wizards.
How to make Sixers vs. Hawks picks
SportsLine's model is leaning under on the total, projecting 219 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in over 50 percent of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Hawks vs. Sixers? And which side of the spread hits over 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks.
