76ers –8 (-118)
76ers vs. Wizards NBA Playoffs Game 4 Preview and Best Bet (Archive)
The Philadelphia 76ers have asserted their dominance over the Washington Wizards through three games in this opening-round playoff series, and will now go for the sweep of the eight seed in Game 4 on Monday night. The Sixers have put on an offensive clinic, scoring the most points per game of any team in the playoffs, wearing down the Wizards on the block. With a couple names popping up on a troubling injury report, is it time to stick a fork in Washington, or will it give its fans something to cheer about at home before Philly goes for the Gentleman’s Sweep? We’ll tell you where to look at the top-rated sportsbooks.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Washington Wizards
Monday, May 31, 2021 – 7:00 PM EDT at Capital One Arena
Efficiency at Its Finest
Going up against a team with a soft frontcourt which has had issues rebounding and stopping post-ups all season long, no one expected the Sixers to have much of an issue against the Wizards. The offense is a huge reason why they’ve surged to this 3-0 lead, scoring 125.2 points per 100 possessions after being around league average on that end all season long. Joel Embiid has found it easy to go against Daniel Gafford, Alex Len or Robin Lopez — whoever the Wizards try and throw at him.
It’s important to recognize here the job that Philly has done on defense, however. It has taken a surging and high-powered Wizards offense and completely shut it down, allowing just 104.6 points per 100 possessions. This unit, which is supposed to be the key to a Finals run for the Sixers, looks more than up to the task of stopping some of the East’s strongest offenses.
This two-headed attack has just been too much for the poor Wizards. Philly looks ready for a higher competition level, and I fully expect a great effort here in a closeout game. Faced with the possibility of a Hawks or Knicks team coming off a long, grueling series, the Sixers will want to maximize their rest advantage. Even though this team has been much better at home this year, it’s still been decent on the road considering, you know, it’s the top team in the East.
Will Russ Play?
You rarely question whether or not a team’s best player will play in an elimination game, particularly one of the best in the league who’s been able to make it through the series, but that’s what we’re left to wonder with Russell Westbrook. The point guard is questionable for Game 4 with a right knee sprain after missing considerable time during the year, floating on and off the injury report on countless occasions. Should Russ miss the game, it’d almost certainly be time to write off the Wizards completely, but one other name gives me pause as well: Ish Smith.
The backup guard is also listed as questionable here with a left groin strain. He could actually be a more important injury than Westbrook. Should Smith miss the game, the Wizards will either be faced with running an injured Westbrook out for more minutes than they might be comfortable with considering just Raul Neto is behind him. Should Westbrook also miss the game, just Neto along would man the position. With that, the Wizards could be out of gas here. They’ve been getting smoked on the glass, grabbing just 48% of available rebounds, and their pace has slowed to 100.5. This is a long way off from Washington’s league-leading 104.67 pace rating during the regular season; this would rank them just outside the top 10 in the regular season. This offensive attack is unrecognizable.
I’m backing the Sixers to close it out in commanding fashion on the road here against the Wizards. With Westbrook either hampered by injury or flat-out missing, this Wizards team is going to struggle even more on offense. They’re already losing the battle in the frontcourt and getting cooked by Embiid on defense, and getting suffocated when they go and try to score. It should be academic, even on the road. I like the 76ers –8 to my NBA pick.
NBA Pick: 76ers –8 (-118) at Bookmaker (visit our Bookmaker Review)
*The pick reflects the line at the moment the writer made the play, the odds at the beginning of this article show the live line movement. Since the lines might vary, don’t forget to refer back to our live odds.