76ers vs. Nets Game 3 NBA playoffs odds, trends: Bettors big on Philly to keep dominating, Joel Embiid for first 30-point game of series

The Eastern Conference third-seeded Philadelphia 76ers dominated the sixth-seeded Brooklyn Nets in the regular season and have done the same in both games of their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series. Will a shift to the Barclays Center for Game 3 Thursday night make a difference? The Sixers are at 4.5-point favorites at BetMGM, the fewest points by which they've been favored but are still taking huge action – as is Joel Embiid on two player props. Click here for model picks.

Philadelphia won the first two games at home by double digits and has taken six straight playoff games against the Nets overall, the franchise's second-longest playoff winning streak against any opponent. Brooklyn has been double-teaming Embiid almost every time he gets the ball, and his scoring is down to 23.0 points per game this series after leading the NBA at 33.1 in the regular season.

In Game 2, Embiid had his second career playoff game with at least 20 points, 15 rebounds and five assists, joining Wilt Chamberlain (20), Dolph Schayes (five) and Charles Barkley (five) as the only players in franchise history with at least two such games. Embiid also moved past Chamberlain for the 10th-most points in Sixers playoff history.

The Game 2 final score of 96-84 was a bit unusual, as the Nets had been 9-1 in the regular season when holding their opponent under 100 points, including seven straight wins in such games. Philly was held under 100 points six times in the regular season and lost all six.

At BetMGM, the Sixers are taking 82% of the bets and 81% of the money on the spread. The total has risen from 208.5 to 209.5 with 83% of the bets and 79% of the money on the Over. Often, underdogs in this situation take a sizable moneyline lean as casual bettors look for a nice score, but the Nets at +165 are getting only 31% of the bets and 13% of the money.

Two of the three most-wagered player props are on Embiid: Over 3.5 assists at -130 and Over 30.5 points at -110. Embiid had three assists in Game 1 and seven in Game 2. The other popular prop is Philly's Tyrese Maxey Under 3.5 rebounds (-110). He has totaled nine in the series.

The lone injury concern tonight is to Sixers backup center and trade acquisition Jalen McDaniels, who is questionable with a non-COVID illness, but he is likely to play after participating in shootaround. The former Hornet is averaging 2.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 19.5 minutes across the first two games.

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