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76ers vs Heat: What can the Sixers do without Joel Embiid?
The Miami Heat host the Philadelphia 76ers on Christmas Day at Kaseya Center at South Beach. The league MVP, Joel Embiid, will sit this one out for the Sixers, which makes the Heat a 2.5-point favorite.
Is this the season for the Sixers?
The Sixers have made a solid roster in the last couple of years but still failed to make it to the NBA Finals. Joel Embiid, who will miss this game with an injury, leads the NBA with 35 points per game and is on the way to winning his third consecutive scoring title and maybe even the back-to-back MVP award. The Sixers are currently third in the Eastern Conference with a 20-8 record and have won 8 of the last 10 games.
The Heat are looking for the third straight win
The Miami Heat are fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 17-12 record. They won the last two games against the Orlando Magic and the Atlanta Hawks, with Tyler Herro leading the scorers. The Heat are seventh in the league, allowing 111.8 points and 42.4 rebounds per game. Herro leads the team with 24.2 points per game, followed by Bam Adebayo with 21.8 and Jimmy Butler with 21.5.
Betting Trends
The total points have stayed under in 6 of the last 7 games between these two teams.
Who is stepping up for Embiid?
The absence of Joel Embiid is a huge blow for the Sixers, and they will have to cover for him on both ends of the floor, especially offensively. Tyrese Maxey is the one who will take over most of the shots Embiid has. The shooting guard averages 26.4 points per game, which ranks him 11th in the league. He went over 30 in the last two games, and the same can be expected this time as well.
Injury Reports
Joel Embiid is out for the Sixers while Dru Smith is not available for the Heat.
Prediction and Conclusion
The Sixers are fourth in the league with 122.3 points per game, but scoring will not be easy tonight against the Heat, especially with the NBA leading scorer, Joel Embiid, out. The Sixers will need to find an alternative solution on offense with Embiid not around, which will reduce their scoring. The Heat are only 19th in the league with 113.2 points per game and will be around that number in this one as well. The total point line is set at 225.5 for this game, and the Heat and the Sixers have gone over only once in their last seven head-to-head games. Given all that, this will be a tough game that will most likely stay under the total point line.
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