This article is part of our NBA Picks series.
Alex Barutha
Tyrese Maxey over 21.5 points (-102) at Heat -- FanDuel, 3:33 PM CT
The 76ers' offense is going to look a lot different without Joel Embiid. Maxey seems to be one of the primary beneficiaries when Embiid is off the court, averaging 28.8 points on 20.9 shots per 36 in the playoffs with the center on the bench.
Nick Whalen
Miami Heat -7.5 vs. Philadelphia 76ers – DraftKings Sportsbook, 12:45 PM CT
I know the Heat will be without Kyle Lowry, and six other players are on the injury report, but I expect most – if not all – of those players to be active for Game 1. Assuming that's the case, Miami should be in a great position to roll in Game 1 against a Sixers team that's without its best offensive and defensive player. Talent-wise, Philly still has the pieces to hang with Miami, but until James Harden and Tobias Harris prove they can actually step up, I'm rolling with Miami. I also like the UNDER 208.5 points. Without Embiid, it could be a clunky night for the Sixers' offense.
Ken "K-Train" Crites
I'm taking the OVER on Bam Adebayo scoring 18.5 (FanDuel -114 as of 2:10pm ET)
Maybe I'm oversimplifying Joel Embiid's absence, but with Jimmy Butler (knee), Max Strus (hamstring) and PJ Tucker (calf) all GTD's, it sure seems like Bam will need to play major minutes. He averaged 18.8 points over his last 32 games, which includes the Atlanta series. He had some stinkers versus the Hawks, but remember he was fighting a quad injury. The days off before Round 2 should have Adebayo back in peak form. Are Paul Reed and DeAndre Jordan really going to slow Bam down?
