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Joel Embiid’s injury causes bookies to move Bucks ahead of Sixers in East odds

Brooklyn is still the team to beat. 'We view Nets-Bucks as the Eastern Conference Finals,' said an executive at PointsBet.

Team defense will be key for the Sixers, who will be without star Joel Embiid for Wednesday's Game 5. Here, Furkan Korkmaz (left) and Tyrese Maxey try to stop Wizards' forward Rui Hachimura in Game 4 on Monday.
Team defense will be key for the Sixers, who will be without star Joel Embiid for Wednesday's Game 5. Here, Furkan Korkmaz (left) and Tyrese Maxey try to stop Wizards' forward Rui Hachimura in Game 4 on Monday.Read moreYONG KIM / Staff Photographer

Tonight’s line against the Wizards is holding steady, but the Sixers’ odds of coming out of the NBA’s Eastern Conference got a little longer.

The Sixers continue to be favored by 6 points ahead of Game 5, when a victory over Washington will wrap up the series. Philadelphia would advance to the second round and play the winner of Atlanta-New York. The Hawks, like the Sixers, held a 3-1 lead in games heading into Wednesday night.

What’s changed in light of Joel Embiid’s injury are the Sixers’ odds to move beyond the Eastern Conference side of the NBA playoff bracket. Pointsbet pushed the Sixers from around 4-1 to 13-2 to win the East, and from 10-1 to 13-1 to win the championship.

The Nets and Bucks will meet in the other semifinal opposite the Sixers/Wizards/Hawks/Knicks.

At BetMGM, the Nets entered Wednesday evening at -120 to win the East. They were followed by Milwaukee (+225), the Sixers (+400), Hawks (+2200), Wizards (+15000) and Knicks (+15000).

“Brooklyn came into the postseason the clear favorite [to win the East],” said PointsBet’s Pat Eichner. “Then Milwaukee and Philly were fairly even on the second line. Now, with the Embiid news, we essentially view Nets-Bucks as the Eastern Conference Finals.”

» READ MORE: Sixers’ Joel Embiid out for Game 5 with lateral meniscus tear in his right knee

Embiid, one of three finalists for league MVP and clearly the Sixers most important player, has a slight tear in his right meniscus and will not play Wednesday. Game 6, if necessary, would be Friday in Washington. Game 7 would be Sunday in Philadelphia.

“[The Sixers] need the Knicks to extend their series with the Hawks to buy some more time for Embiid,” said Ed Salmons, of the Westgate SuperBook in Vegas.

“The Sixers’ second round series was really looked at as a simple task, be it the Knicks or the Hawks” Eichner pointed out. “Now there is a real possibility of them having some trouble moving on beyond the next round.”