Atlanta Hawks vs Philadelphia 76ers Game 2 Betting Preview (June 8)

The Atlanta Hawks opened up the Eastern Conference Semifinals with a narrow 128-124 victory. After a hard-fought game, the Hawks proved to be the more resilient team, holding onto their lead in the fourth quarter. It seems as if the 76ers are having the same trouble the New York Knicks did with defending PG Trae Young, albeit to a lesser extent.

Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers fought valiantly against the Atlanta Hawks but fell short of a win in Game 1. C Joel Embiid returned from a meniscus tear and dropped 49 points against the Hawks but wasn’t enough to claim a win. The most vital question for the 76ers on Tuesday night is what they’re planning to do against Trae Young.

The Atlanta Hawks covered the small spread in the first game of this series which would usually convince the sportsbook to shrink the margin. However, the Hawks still come in as five-point underdogs on Tuesday.

The Hawks have a chance to head to Atlanta up two games with a win on Tuesday

Atlanta has a chance to win two huge games on the road before returning home for another two games. Clearly, the Hawks would have a huge advantage playing on their own court, opening up the opportunity for a sweep here and getting some much-needed rest before the next series. Beating the 76ers at home is no easy task, though, as they narrowly escaped with a win on Sunday.

The Hawks are in the same spot as the 76ers, trying to find a way to stop the most dominant player on the opposing team. The Hawks play “small ball,” and C Joel Embiid exploited that fact the entire game. If Atlanta wants to leave Philadelphia with another win on Tuesday, they’ll need to find a way to slow the big-man’s production.

Philadelphia will be in trouble early if they can’t contain PG Trae Young

The 76ers are running into the same problem the New York Knicks faced. The question surrounding the best way to defend Trae Young is haunting defenses, and Young yet again had a field day on Sunday. Although there is not yet an answer for the point guard perplexing defenses, you’d have to imagine that Philadelphia spent the last few days working on this.

The 76ers are a very strong team at home and won each game at home in their series versus the Washington Wizards. Although this is a much different team, Philadelphia found a way to contain another prolific guard in Russell Westbrook. Taking that into consideration, don’t doubt the 76ers’ ability to come up with a winning game plan. And Ben Simmons should start practicing his perimeter shots and free throws if they want to win the title this year.

Best bet at the sportsbook on Tuesday? Philadelphia 76ers -5

The 76ers have one of the best home records in the NBA, and although Joel Emiid remains “day-to-day,” he’ll likely be in the lineup on Tuesday. You can expect the 76ers to have come up with a play to limit Trae Young’s output in game two. Look for the home team to claim game two of the series before heading to Atlanta.

Bet on Philadelphia 76ers -5.