A play-in matchup between 7th place and 8th place in the Eastern Conference has been decided.
In a battle between two teams not expected to make it to the play-in tournament, the 76ers will host the Heat in Philadelphia for the No. 7 seed. The winner will face the No. 2 Knicks in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs, and the loser will face the winner of the No. 9 Bulls vs. No. 10 Hawks play-in game.
After star center Joel Embiid returned from injury, the 76ers made a bold push for a top-six seed in the East and won eight straight games heading into the postseason. However, the top six teams remained unmoved, and as a result, Philadelphia will face the reigning Eastern Conference champions, the Heat.
This is familiar territory for Miami, which qualified for the playoffs last year via the play-in tournament. Will the Heat have a similar Cinderella run, or will the 76ers maintain their momentum and clinch a playoff spot?
Sporting News reports the following breakdown of the matchup.
more: Bulls vs. Hawks play-in game: Predictions, odds, and key matchups you need to know
76ers vs Heat Prediction
prediction: 76ers win
If not for Embiid's knee injury, Philadelphia would have been nowhere near the play-in tournament.
Prior to Embiid's departure, the 76ers were in third place in the East with a record of 29 wins and 16 losses. In 30 games without the reigning MVP, they went 12 wins and 18 losses, falling out of the top six in the conference.
Philadelphia hasn't lost a game since Embiid returned. He picked up where he left off, averaging 30.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.2 blocks in the five games he played. He also handled a semi-regular workload, averaging 30.5 minutes in those games.
With Embiid back and relatively healthy, the 76ers will look solid against the Heat.
76ers vs Heat betting odds
The 76ers will open the game as 4.5 point favorites against Heat Per Bet MGM, an official NBA gaming company.
| spread | total | money line | |
| 76ers | -4.5 (-110) | o207.5 (-115) | -200 |
| heat | +4.5 (-110) | u207.5 (-105) | +165 |
More: TSN's Steph Noh shares his picks as an All-NBA expert
76ers vs. Heat 2023-24 Regular Season Series
The 76ers and Heat split the season series with two wins each.
- December 25, 2023: Heat 119, 76ers 113
- February 14, 2024: Heat 109, 76ers 104
- March 18, 2024: 76ers 98, Heat 91
- April 4, 2024: 76ers 109, Heat 105
Embiid and Jimmy Butler appeared in only one of those games, the 76ers' win over the Heat on April 4.
The game between Philadelphia and Miami on Christmas Day lost some of its excitement due to the absence of Embiid and Butler. The Heat took care of business with a 31-point breakthrough from rookie forward Jaime Jaquez Jr.
The teams faced off again on Valentine's Day, but Embiid and Butler were once again left out of the lineup. Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro each scored 23 points, fending off Tyrese Maxey's 30-point game.
The Heat had a chance to decide the season series on March 18, but Maxey again scored 30 points to lead the 76ers to victory.
in the only meeting you can Really With both Embiid and Butler in the lineup, Philadelphia won. Embiid went for 29 points, but it was Maxey who led the way with 37 points, 11 assists, and 9 rebounds, a near triple-double.
76ers vs. Heat key storyline: Bam Adebayo vs. Joel Embiid
Embiid is back, which is bad news for the Heat.
In five games since his return, Embiid is averaging 30.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks in 30.5 minutes per game. He wasted no time overcoming his knee injury and appeared healthy enough to lead the 76ers in the playoffs.
Adebayo will be tied for Embiid's assignment, and the Defensive Player of the Year candidate will have to do a much better job than he did in his only matchup two weeks ago. In a game that Miami lost by four points, Adebayo finished with a team-worst -29+/-.
According to NBA matchup data, Embiid had 16 points, two assists, and one turnover with Adebayo as his primary defender. He effectively made 6 of 12 field goals and 3 of 4 from 3-point range.
The Heat had bigger issues to worry about in that game as Maxey ran wild, but Embiid is the centerpiece for the 76ers. If Miami is going to pull off an upset, it starts with Adebayo's defense against the reigning MVP.
76ers vs. Heat date, start time, TV channel, live stream
- date: Wednesday, April 17th
- time: 7pm ET | 4pm PT
- TV channel: ESPN
- live stream: Sling
76ers vs. Heat will be broadcast on ESPN. Viewers in the US can also stream play-in tournament games on Sling TV.
Sling is the home for avid sports fans and offers a variety of sports channels, so you can always root for your favorite team on channels like ESPN, TBS, TNT, NFL Network, FS1, and more.
