Miami Heat vs Philadelphia 76ers Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 03/04/2024, 19:12  by Joseph King | Modified on 04/04/2024 at 01:13 in NBA Predictions

The Miami Heat seek their fourth win in a row when they host the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday. Miami’s 42-33 record has them sitting seventh in the Eastern Conference standings while the 76ers sit eighth with a mark of 41-35.

The Heat are involved in a tight race for a top-six seed (which ensures automatic qualification to the NBA Playoffs) as we head into the final few games of the regular season. They currently trail the sixth-placed Pacers by just half a game and the Knicks and Magic (tied currently) by two games. The hosts come into this contest riding a three-game winning streak following their 109-99 home victory over the aforementioned Knicks. The upswing in form means that Jimmy Butler and company have now won six of their last eight outings. Miami has really stepped up its defensive performances in recent games, holding their opponents to under 100 points in three of their last five. The Heat rank fourth in the NBA in opponent points allowed, giving up just 108.4 per contest.

The 76ers have had a tough time of it this season. After looking like they would be competing with the Celtics and Bucks for the top spots in the East, they now find themselves battling for a spot in the play-in tournament. However, they now look poised to make a late run as they welcome back reigning MVP Joel Embiid after a lengthy injury spell. The 30-year-old played 29 minutes in his first game since January and looked sharp in his return, putting up a stat line of 24 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals. The Sixers would go on to win the game 109-105 against a top team in the OKC Thunder, their second win in a row. They sit 1.5 games behind their opponents today and two games behind Indiana.