One of the most popular upset picks in the first round of the NBA playoffs is the Toronto Raptors over the Philadelphia 76ers.
But one bettor at BetMGM is very confident that the 76ers will move on to Round 2.
The bettor placed a $62,000 bet on Philadelphia to win the series at -185 odds. If the 76ers win, the bettor would win $33,513. Philly currently has -200 odds to win the series, but 71% of the bets BetMGM has received have come in on the Raptors, who are currently +165 to pull off the upset. However, 89% of the money is on the Philadelphia side. The aforementioned $62,000 wager almost certainly accounts for a significant portion of that handle.
The 76ers are the East’s No. 4 seed, giving them home court advantage over the No. 5 seed Raptors. The 76ers have MVP candidate and NBA scoring champion Joel Embiid playing alongside former MVP James Harden, who was acquired at the trade deadline from the Brooklyn Nets.
The 76ers have shown flashes of brilliance offensively since Harden’s arrival. Harden’s assist totals have been impressive, but he has had some struggles scoring the ball — both with his outside shooting and drives into the lane.
There’s also the added variable of Matisse Thybulle for this series. Because he is not fully vaccinated, Thybulle, Philly’s top defender, cannot play any of the games in Toronto. The Raptors are led by Fred Van Vleet and Pascal Siakam, but also have an array of athletic wings and forwards that can be tough to defend. Thybulle’s absence could be felt.
Bettors siding with Nets over Celtics
Another series in the Eastern Conference where the underdog is attracting plenty of action is the 2-7 matchup between the Boston Celtics and the Brooklyn Nets.
The Celtics, the No. 2 seed, are -140 favorites. The Nets are slight underdogs at +115. According to BetMGM, the Nets are receiving 63% of the nets and 58% of the money to move on to the second round.
The Celtics were one of the hottest teams in the NBA down the stretch as they ascended up the East standings. Their reward for that is facing Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and the Nets. The Nets knocked off the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this week in the play-in tournament to secure the No. 7 spot.
And despite the fact that they were in the play-in tournament, the Nets have the fourth-best odds to win the NBA championship. They are currently +800 at BetMGM, behind only the Phoenix Suns (+260), Milwaukee Bucks (+500) and the Celtics (+750).