The Philadelphia 76ers face a virtual must-win situation on Friday evening in the 2022 NBA playoffs. Philadelphia trails the Miami Heat by a 2-0 margin in the second-round series. The series shifts to Wells Fargo Center for Game 3, with the Sixers hosting the next two contests in Philadelphia. Tipoff for Game 3 is set for 7 p.m. ET in Philadelphia, with the Heat favored by three points at Caesars Sportsbook, and an over-under total of 210 points
Later in the evening, the Dallas Mavericks host the Phoenix Suns for another Game 3 tilt at 9:30 p.m. ET. The Mavericks trail the top-seeded Suns 2-0 in the series, leaving a sense of urgency for Game 3. The game is listed as a pick’em in the NBA odds at Caesars Sportsbook with an over-under total of 219.5 points. Before making any NBA picks or parlays, be sure to check out the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past three-plus seasons. The model entered the third full week of the 2022 NBA playoffs on a stunning 86-58 roll on all top-rated NBA picks, returning over $2,100. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, it has set its sights on Friday’s NBA playoff schedule and revealed its best bets. If you parlay its picks, you could be looking at a payout of over 12-1. You can only see the model’s NBA picks at SportsLine.
Top NBA playoff picks for Friday, May 6
One pick the model recommends for Friday’s NBA playoff slate is over 210 points in the Heat vs. 76ers matchup. Both teams bring high-powered offense to the table, and the total is modest in comparison. Philadelphia is scoring 115.4 points per 100 possessions in the playoffs, a figure that would rank near the top of the NBA over a larger sample, and the 76ers up that to 121.2 points per 100 possessions in home games. The 76ers are converting more than 47 percent of field goal attempts and 36 percent of 3-point attempts in the playoffs, and Philadelphia is also burying 85.6 percent of 24.3 free throw attempts per game. Even without Joel Embiid (facial injury), the Sixers also have a pair of star-level creators in Tyrese Maxey and James Harden.
On the Miami side, Embiid’s absence only enhances an encouraging projection by removing a primary rim protector. The Heat are scoring 117.0 points per 100 possessions in the playoffs and 119.7 points per 100 possessions in the series. In addition to fantastic shooting, Miami is securing nearly 32 percent of available offensive rebounds in the playoffs, and the Heat have intriguing balance. Jimmy Butler leads the way with 26.5 points per game in the playoffs, but Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo are capable of explosions. Miami also led the NBA in 3-point accuracy (37.9 percent) during the regular season, with top-eight marks in 3-pointers per game, free throw accuracy, assists per game and assist percentage.
Featured Game | Philadelphia 76ers vs. Miami Heat
How to make NBA playoff picks and parlays today
The model also has identified three other extremely strong picks that need to be in your NBA parlays, including another pick that hits over 60 percent of the time, bringing plenty of value. You can only see the model’s best bets at SportsLine.
What are the top NBA picks for Friday? And which pick can you bank on over 60 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see the NBA best bets for Friday, all from the model that is on an 86-58 roll on all top-rated NBA picks, and find out.
