Tyrese Maxey and the Philadelphia 76ers suffered their first loss of the season on Friday against the Boston Celtics, but they are favored on Sunday against the Brooklyn Nets.
Brooklyn has yet to win a game this season (0-5), and it’s set as a home underdog in this game even though Joel Embiid and Paul George have both been ruled out for Philly.
The Sixers have ridden Maxey and rookie VJ Edgcombe to a fast start this season, but can they keep that going on Sunday?
Here’s a breakdown of the odds, my favorite player prop and a prediction for this Eastern Conference clash.
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
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Moneyline
Total
76ers Injury Report
Nets Injury Report
76ers Best NBA Prop Bet
Earlier today, I shared in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why Maxey is a must-bet against the worst defense in the NBA:
Tyrese Maxey is off to a red-hot start in the 2025-26 season, averaging 35.2 points per game in his first five games while shooting 46.2 percent from the field and 46.8 percent from beyond the arc.
Maxey should be in line for a huge workload on Sunday against the Brooklyn Nets, as the Philadelphia 76ers have ruled out Joel Embiid, Paul George and Jared McCain for this matchup. Without Embiid earlier this season, Maxey dropped 43 points in a 12-point win over the Orlando Magic.
The star guard has 30 or more points in three of his five games (39 or more in each of those), and he’s scored at least 26 points in every game this season.
After taking just 16 shots against Boston on Friday night, I expect Maxey to bounce back against a Brooklyn Nets defense that ranks dead last in the NBA in defensive rating and opponent 3-point percentage while clocking in at No. 29 in opponent points per game.
I’m looking to the total in this matchup, as these teams are two of the worst defenses in the NBA through the first week-plus of the 2025-26 season.
Brooklyn ranks dead last in defensive rating and 29th in opponent points per game while the Sixers aren’t much better, ranking 26th in defensive rating and 22nd in opponent points per game.
Philly’s offense has been elite though, which is why it’s off to a 4-1 start. The 76ers are second in offensive rating and 13th in effective field goal percentage, riding a bunch of huge games from Maxey to wins this season.
While the Nets haven’t been able to stop anyone, they are in the middle of the pack in offensive rating, ranking 15th in the NBA.
I think this ends up being a high-scoring game – even with Embiid out.
Pick: OVER 232.5 (-112 at DraftKings)
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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