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NBA Monday betting preview: 76ers, Clippers to seize control in Game 4

Juan Ocampo / National Basketball Association / Getty

Two series reach a pivotal point on Monday, with both home teams trying to even the series at 2-2 or risk falling down 3-1 with a road game ahead. Here are our favorite bets for each:

76ers (-3, 225.5) @ Hawks

After an impressive Game 1 win with Joel Embiid sidelined, the Hawks have looked overmatched in two games with the 76ers big man on the court - losing by 16 points in each of those two contests.

Atlanta had won 13 consecutive home games before Friday's loss, though the team still had no answer for Philly's size - with Embiid (27 points), Tobias Harris (22), Ben Simmons (18), and Dwight Howard (12) all cracking double digits in scoring.

Conversely, Clint Capela (8) was held to single digits for the first time since a Game 2 loss to the Knicks, and the Hawks' other role players couldn't find a groove to support Trae Young's efforts. Atlanta's shooting numbers should improve, but with the way Embiid is playing, it's hard not to lay the short price on the better team.

Pick: 76ers -3

Jazz @ Clippers (-5, 223.5)

We'd been clamoring for the Clippers to break out since this series began, even after the Jazz seized the first two games in unsustainable fashion. It all came crashing down for Utah in Game 3, when Los Angeles finally asserted the version of itself we'd long expected.

Will that continue in Game 4? Donovan Mitchell once again made his presence felt, scoring 30 points for the fifth consecutive playoff game - the first player to do that since Kawhi Leonard in 2020. It wasn't enough to offset a combined 65 points from Leonard and Paul George on the other side, even as the Jazz drilled 43% of their 3-point attempts.

Utah's recipe for winning the first two games was elite play from Mitchell and solid shooting splits from his teammates, so to see such a lopsided result despite getting both in Game 3 is a significant red flag ahead of Game 4. If the Jazz can't find another formula to win, this game won't be close.

Pick: Clippers -5

C Jackson Cowart is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on Twitter (@CJacksonCowart) or email him at cjackson.cowart@thescore.com.

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