Wizards vs 76ers Game 2 Preview: Sixers Should Keep Cruising in Opening Round

Is there any chance that the Wizards vs 76ers series could end up being a contest, or will it be an easy ride for Joel Embiid and the Eastern Conference’s top seed?

The Wizards might have a couple of superstars in Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook, but #8 seeds are supposed to lose in the first round. Washington started strong and were even leading by a point at the end of the first quarter. But it never really looked like they were going to take down the Sixers, who won the series opener by seven. Now the Wizards are hoping to make things respectable in game two. The Sixers did not play great in the opener and missed covering by a point, but they did put up 125 points. They can be better tonight and cash that spread ticket in game two

Washington Wizards (0-1) vs Philadelphia 76ers (1-0), NBA TV, 7:00 PM ET

Wizards vs 76ers Series Schedule and Results

• Sunday, May 23 | Game 1 (at Philadelphia): 76ers 125-118 Wizards
• Wednesday, May 26 | Game 2 (at Philadelphia): Wizards vs 76ers, 7 ET, NBA TV
• Saturday, May 29 | Game 3 (at Washington): 76ers vs Wizards, TBD, ESPN
• Monday, May 31 | Game 4 (at Washington): 76ers vs Wizards, TBD, TNT
• Wednesday, June 2 | Game 5 (at Philadelphia): Wizards vs 76ers, TBD, TBD (if necessary)
• Friday, June 4 | Game 6 (at Washington): 76ers vs Wizards, TBD, TBD (if necessary)
• Sunday, June 6 | Game 7 (at Philadelphia): Wizards vs 76ers, TBD, TBD (if necessary)

Wizards vs 76ers Series Betting Odds

Odds to Win the Series

• Washington Wizards: +880
• Philadelphia 76ers: -1800

Series Spread

• Washington Wizards +2.5 +152
• Philadelphia 76ers -2.5 -188

Series Correct Score Odds

• Wizards 4-1 +6500
• 4-2 Wizards +2100
• Wizards 4-3 +1700
• 4-0 76ers +175
• 76ers 4-1 +165
• 4-2 76ers +460
• 76ers 4-3 +600

Wizards vs 76ers Game 2 Betting Odds

• Spread: Wizards +8 (-106), 76ers -8 (-114)
• Total: OVER 228.5 (-112), UNDER 228.5 (-108)
• Moneyline: Wizards +300, 76ers -375

Wizards vs 76ers odds are via BetOnline Sportsbook as of Wednesday, May 26 at 2:30 pm ET. For more NBA betting odds, check out our NBA odds page. It features updated odds from BetOnline and other top online sportsbooks.

Washington Just Doesn’t Have Enough

In the loss, Beal and Westbrook put up decent stats. Beal scored 33 points while making more than half of his shots, while Westbrook scored 16 points with 14 assists. Both had six turnovers though, giving the duo more than the entire Sixers team combined. Washington needs these guys to be high-usage guys, but they have to play smart too. The 76ers are a strong defensive team, but if they don’t clean that up every game of the series is going to look a lot like game one.

The positive from the loss is that some of the supporting guys played well. Davis Bertans, Ish Smith, and Daniel Gafford were all positive contributors off the bench. That doesn’t mean they should see more minutes, but it just shows you that it is the stars that have to be better more than anything.

The Wizards are getting a lot of interest in game two. They are the consensus spread play on the day of the game.

Sixers Can Win This Series Without Playing Great

I know they only won by seven points in game one, but there was a lot to like about Philly’s performance over the weekend, a win that never really felt in doubt. A lot of what we saw from the 76ers is repeatable. Remember, Washington was the worst defensive team in the league during the regular season.

Tobias Harris scored 37 points in game one. He took the most shots on the team by far and was converting at a high level. He is not a star, but as long as he recognizes the difference between a good and bad shot, he is not going to hurt the team. Most of his attempts were not very contested.

Joel Embiid also scored well, recording 30 points in just under 30 minutes. He had early foul trouble, which is the only reason why his numbers were not better. That creates a little concern as it is not like Washington has a great presence in the post he needs to defend. He needs to be able to be smarter on defense. It is classic big man stuff.

Ben Simmons only scored 6 points, but he put up 15 rebounds and 15 assists. He had a massive impact on the game while committing only two turnovers. He has never been a good foul shooter though and shot 0 for 6 from the charity stripe. That is unacceptable but has to be taken as an outlier. He is a 60% shooter for the season.

All in all the 76ers can easily repeat what we saw in game one. If Simmons makes just 50% from the line, they cover and their backers would have gone home happy. That seems probable tonight.

Wizards vs 76ers Game 2 Betting Consensus

• Spread: 100% Wizards, 0% 76ers (at +/-8)
• Total: 63% OVER, 38% UNDER (at O/U 229.5)
• Moneyline: 13% Wizards, 88% 76ers

Washington Wizards vs Philadelphia 76ers Matchup: Picks, Odds, Stats and More