The Philadelphia 76ers head to Boston to take on the Celtics for their third and final time this season. The East-leading 76ers have already taken the season series against the C's, winning the first two games by a total of 22 points. Philly has had Boston's number after winning the season series in 2019-20 as well. With Joel Embiid set to return to the court, we're in store for an exciting matchup on Tuesday night. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series and make a 76ers-Celtics prediction and pick.
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the opening 76ers-Celtics odds.
NBA Odds: 76ers-Celtics Odds
Philadephia 76ers -1.5 (-113)
Over 222 Points (-110)
Under 222 Points (-110)
Why The 76ers Could Cover The Spread
The 76ers currently sit just a half-game back of the Brooklyn Nets for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. Philly has been playing solid basketball of late, but enters this game with a bit of a black eye. They were handed a sizable home loss by the Memphis Grizzlies just two nights ago. The 76ers were forced to play that matchup without star center Joel Embiid, though. They played well during his extended absence, but certainly aren't the same team without him on the court.
With Embiid set to return, Celtics big man Robert Williams is sure to have his hands full. Embiid has dominated the Celtics this season, averaging 40 points and 10.5 rebounds in their two prior head-to-head matchups. We saw a few bright spots from his supporting cast in the loss against Memphis. Tobias Harris led the way with 21 points, eight rebounds, and three assists. Dwight Howard registered a near-double-double himself, and two others were in double figures. Philly has had Boston's number, averaging 119.5 points per game in the first two meetings of the season.
Why The Celtics Could Cover The Spread
The Celtics had a disappointing month of March, going 6-8 overall. They turned the calendar to April with hopes of turning things around. The Celtics have done just that. They have won two straight games in a resounding way. Boston's latest win saw them absolutely steamroll the Charlotte Hornets by 30 points. Jayson Tatum led the way for the C's with 22 points and eight rebounds. Robert Williams also delivered another impressive performance with 16 points and eight rebounds.
The Celtics have played very well since adding Williams to the starting lineup. His presence down low has been crucial to Boston's recent success. They have also seen some much-needed contributions from their bench since adding Evan Fournier at the deadline. Fournier delivered 17 points on 4-of-5 shooting from deep in the win against Charlotte. He has added a huge spark to a team that needed help on the perimeter. Over the last six games, Boston has scored at the seventh-highest rate in the league at 114.0 points per game. They have also held opponents to just 104 points per game during that stretch.
Final 76ers-Celtics Prediction & Pick
Separated by just 1.5 points, this game is certainly going to be back and forth throughout. I give the edge in a game like this to a deeper team. Depth is going to be key down the stretch in a battle like this. I see a lot of Boston's recent success coming from the success of Robert Williams. With a matchup against Joel Embiid, Williams will almost certainly regress. Philly has had Boston's number in recent history, and we don't have any reason to believe that will change on Tuesday night.
FINAL PICK: Philadelphia 76ers -1.5 (-113)
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