Miami Heat at Philadelphia 76ers predictions, odds: Who wins NBA play-in game?

Justin Martinez, The Oklahoman

The Philadelphia 76ers will host the Miami Heat in the first round of the play-in tournament at 6 p.m. Wednesday (ESPN).

The winner will secure the No. 7 seed in the East, and it'll face No. 2 New York in the opening round of the playoffs. The loser will host the winner of Chicago and Atlanta on Friday with the No. 8 seed, and a date with No. 1 Boston, on the line.

Philadelphia and Miami split the regular-season series, 2-2. The games were decided by an average of just 5.5 points.

Philadelphia is on an eight-game winning streak thanks in large part to Joel Embiid. The reigning MVP returned from a knee injury on April 2 that caused him to miss 29 games.

Miami is making its second straight play-in tournament appearance. The Heat made it all the way to the NBA Finals last season.

Here's a look at how the play-in matchup is projected to play out on Wednesday:

More: 2024 NBA playoffs: Complete schedule, bracket breakdown, how to watch

Apr 2, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) autographs a basketball as he celebrates win against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports ORG XMIT: IMAGN-719340 ORIG FILE ID: 20240402_eh_se7_01057.JPG
Apr 2, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) autographs a basketball as he celebrates win against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports ORG XMIT: IMAGN-719340 ORIG FILE ID: 20240402_eh_se7_01057.JPG

The Oklahoman: 76ers 102, Heat 97

Justin Martinez writes: "Miami often makes people look foolish for picking against it in the postseason, but I'll take that risk. Philadelphia once again looks like one of the best teams in the league with Embiid back in the mix. And while the Heat shouldn't be counted out, it's hard to trust a team that ranks 26th in the NBA in points per game (110.1) to keep up with the scoring duo of Embiid and Tyrese Maxey."

BetMGM: Philadelphia 76ers (-4.5) are favored to win

Philadelphia is a 4.5-point favorite to defeat Miami on Wednesday.

  • Over/under: 208.5

  • Moneyline: Philadelphia -200 | Miami +165

The Sporting News: Philadelphia 76ers are predicted to come out on top

Kyle Irving writes: "Philadelphia didn't lose a single game after Embiid returned. He picked up right 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 played in those games. With Embiid back and relatively healthy, the 76ers will take care of business against the Heat."

More: OKC Thunder clinches top seed in West for NBA Playoffs with rout of Dallas Mavericks

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Miami Heat at Philadelphia 76ers predictions, odds for NBA play-in

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