76ers vs. Heat 2022: Prediction, Odds, Why Miami Will Beat Philadelphia In NBA Playoff Series

The Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers will meet in the second round of the 2022 NBA playoffs. The betting odds indicate that the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference has the edge in what could be a long series.

The Heat are -178 favorites at FanDuel Sportsbook to win the second-round series. The 76ers have +150 odds to pull off the upset and take one step closer to the 2022 NBA Finals.

Miami was the East’s best team in the regular season, finishing with a 53-29 record. The league’s fourth-best defensive rating was the catalyst for the Heat’s success, and it’s what allowed the team to dismiss the Atlanta Hawks in a five-game, first-round series.

The Heat limited the Hawks to 104.1 points per 100 possessions, giving Miami the second-best defense in the playoffs. A year after his playoff heroics nearly led Atlanta to the NBA Finals, Trae Young was largely a non-factor against Miami. The Heat held Young to 15.4 points per game, cutting his regular-season scoring average nearly in half.

The 76ers survived a brief first-round scare against the Toronto Raptors. Philadelphia jumped out to a 3-0 series lead and clinched the series victory with a dominant 132-97 Game 6 victory.

Joel Embiid leads the 76ers with 24.8 points and 11.6 rebounds per game in the playoffs. Embiid is likely to be a top-three NBA MVP finisher for the second straight season.

Miami doesn’t have an MVP candidate on the roster. The Heat probably won't have a single player on any of the three All-NBA teams.

Jimmy Butler has proven to be much better in the playoffs than he is in the regular season. In the 2020 NBA Finals, Butler nearly matched LeBron James with averages of 26.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, 9.8 assists and 2.2 steals per game. Butler put up 30.5 points on 54.3% shooting against Atlanta.

James Harden, conversely, has a habit of underperforming in the postseason. Harden excelled in Philadelphia’s Game 6 in with 22 points and 15 assists. In the first five contests, he was limited to just 18.4 points per game on 37.3% shooting.

In his one game against Miami during the regular season, Harden scored 14 points on 4-12 shooting with seven assists and four turnovers.

Harden has to be much better than he was against Toronto in order for Philadelphia to defeat Miami. The Heat defense is simply too good. Butler and P.J. Tucker can hold their own against Harden. Bam Adebayo might’ve won Defensive Player of the Year if he played a few more games.

Tyrese Maxey averaged 21.3 points on 50.5% shooting in the first round. The second-year point guard could be an x-factor in the series.

Injury questions on both teams could be key. Kyle Lowry has missed the last two games for the Heat with a hamstring injury. Embiid is playing through a thumb injury that will require offseason surgery.

Embiid should be the best player in this series. It just might not be enough for Philadelphia, given Harden’s struggles, Philadelphia’s lack of depth and Miami’s superior defense.