Philadelphia Primed for a Rebound

The Philadelphia 76ers might have an MVP candidate on the roster, but after Game 1 of their Eastern Conference second-round series, it’s clear that he might not even be the most dangerous player on the court. Atlanta (46-32 SU, 44-33-1 ATS) looks to ride Trae Young to a second straight win in Philadelphia on Tuesday against a 76ers team (53-25 SU, 41-33-4 ATS) that couldn’t contain the star Hawks guard in the series opener.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

Philadelphia didn’t stay a 4.5-point favorite for long, moving almost instantly into the -5 to -5.5 range. The total opened at 225.5 and has risen a half-point at the majority of sportsbooks.

Atlanta News & Notes

The Hawks wasted no time attacking Danny Green in man-to-man coverage, with Young racking up 25 points and seven assists in a virtuoso first-half performance that saw Atlanta take a 74-54 lead into the break. Young finished with 35 points and 10 helpers as the Hawks fended off a late Philadelphia rally to improve to 5-1 SU and ATS through their first six postseason games.

While earning the Game 1 win (and seizing home-court advantage in the series) was impressive, the victory was by no means perfect. Atlanta turned the ball over 15 times while snagging just three offensive rebounds. Of course, those are niggling concerns given that the Hawks shot a sizzling 51.2 percent from the floor, 42.6 percent from long range and 95.2 percent from the foul line.

Philadelphia News & Notes

First, the good news: 76ers superstar center Joel Embiid looked just fine after missing nearly a week with a torn meniscus in his knee, pouring in 39 points on 12-of-21 shooting. And the supporting cast also looked impressive, with Seth Curry adding 21 points, Tobias Harris contributing 20 and Ben Simmons scoring 17 points while shooting a perfect 7-for-7 from the field.

Unfortunately, the 76ers were far too sloppy with the basketball and lackadaisical on defense to come away with the win or the cover against the surging Hawks. Philadelphia committed 19 turnovers (leading to 28 Atlanta points) and allowed the Hawks to steal the Game 1 victory despite shooting nearly 55 percent from the floor and enjoying a 35-21 advantage in free-throw attempts.

Betting Pick: 76ers -5.5 (-110)

It’s difficult to envision the Hawks being so effective from the field in Game 2 – and even if Young gets his, the 76ers have more than enough scoring depth to weather the storm Tuesday.