The top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers dispatched Russell Westbrook and the Washington Wizards in the opening round of the NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference matchup. It didn’t come without a sizeable hiccup or two, however.

The Atlanta Hawks were just as impressive in eliminating the New York Knicks in five games - as the underdog No. 5 seed. Now, the teams face off with a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals on the line, and NBA betting sites have the Sixers as favorites.

Hawks vs. 76ers Series Odds

Odds via DraftKings ➜ and current as of publication.

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Hawks vs. 76ers Series Betting Tips

Take Previous Matchups Lightly

The 76ers beat the Hawks in two of the three matchups in the regular season, but none of the games were remotely close. Atlanta won the opening matchup by 18 points, then Philly took back-to-back meetings in April by 44 and 22.

In the Sixers’ loss, Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris and Seth Curry didn’t play. When the Hawks got drubbed, Trae Young played in just one of the two games, while Kevin Huerter, Bogdan Bogdanovic and De’Andre Hunter missed both. Tread very lightly using those results when looking for bettable trends in the NBA odds.

The Embiid Factor

Joel Embiid suffered a tear in his meniscus early in Game 4, which the Wizards pulled out. It also kept him out of Game 5, but Philly rebounded for a 129-112 win to advance.

Embiid is considered day-to-day; it is hoped he will play at some point this series, but at what level and for how many minutes is unknown. So who has stepped up when Embiid isn’t 100%? When it comes to scoring, it’s Tobias Harris. He averages 19.5 ppg this season, but 22.2 when Embiid sits. Dwight Howard averages 10.6 ppg and 9.4 rpg in his stead, well above his usual output. If Embiid can't go, check out the player props on those two with the top sportsbooks.

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One X-Factor

Ben Simmons averaged 14.8 points, 10.2 rebounds and 9.2 assists in the five-game series vs. Washington. He was also fouled by the Wizards on purpose to put him at the free-throw line - and the trick worked in Game 4.

The thought was perhaps Simmons would have a lesser impact in Game 5, but instead he flourished. He was 5-of-8 on the line (way better than the 5-of-20 run before that), and recorded a triple-double with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. His confidence should be high heading into this series.

Check out the best NBA playoff predictions from the top handicappers, only at bookiesEDGE

Hawks vs 76ers Series Picks

The Hawks are better than the No. 5 seed they’ve settled on. It all changed when the team fired head coach Lloyd Pierce and replaced him with Nate McMillan. Since then, Atlanta is 27-11, a .710 win rate that would make them a No. 1 seed in the East over a full season.

The question marks surrounding Embiid can’t be ignored. The All-Star missed 21 games in the regular season. Philadelphia went 10-11 in those games, but against playoff teams that mark was just 3-8.

Hawks +155 at FanDuel is a good price for a team that’s played as well as any over the last two-plus months. Sixers in 7 (+450) with DraftKings offers value, too. If the top-seeded Sixers find a way, few would be surprised if it comes down to a final game.

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Hawks vs 76ers Series Schedule & TV

Game 1: Sunday, June 6, 1 p.m. ET, ABC

Games 2-7 TBD; Games 5-7 if necessary