The 2022-23 NBA season starts Tuesday night with a matchup between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics. The Sixers, eager to finally make a deep playoff run, will begin their season against the reigning Eastern Conference champions.

The Celtics and Sixers split their season series last season and both teams made some key additions this offseason. Boston matched Philadelphia's additions of P.J. Tucker and De'Anthony Melton by trading for Malcolm Brogdon. Their other key offseason addition, Danilo Gallinari, is out for the year and head coach Ime Udoka is suspended. Even with so many things going wrong for them, the Celtics are still a very talented team.

Philadelphia and Boston should provide fans with an intense, fun matchup to kick off another season of basketball starting at 7:30 P.M. EST. Ahead of the 2022-23 NBA season opener, here are three bold predictions for the Sixers.

3. Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey lead their respective teams in points

Joel Embiid and Jayson Tatum will be looking to lead their teams to victory right out of the gate. But as the game goes on and each team's defense focuses on slowing down the opposing star, other players will soon step up.

Embiid seems likely to have a big game with Robert Williams sidelined but that likely means Boston will counter with more blitzes when he gets the ball on the post. This may lead to him showing off his ability as a facilitator and Tyrese Maxey, who lit up the preseason thanks to some tremendous 3-point shooting, will be the main beneficiary. He should have a big game to kick off what could be a massive season.

Meanwhile, Jayen Brown is always liable to go off for a huge scoring night and did so in the Celtics' season opener last year against the New York Knicks, where he dropped 46 points in a double-overtime loss. Jayson Tatum — who may also turn to facilitate more as the Philly defense keys in on him — may not get off to a super slow start like he did last year but Brown could be the one to get Boston rocking on the 2022-23 opening night.

2. Tobias Harris leads the Sixers in threes made

The Sixers will certainly be led by Embiid, Maxey, and James Harden on offense. But they'll need safety valves as they deal with numerous tough defenders. Tobias Harris will be a huge x-factor for Philadelphia and he could end up having a big night, especially when it comes to shooting,

Harris, who put in the work this offseason to get better at catch-and-shoot triples, will likely be looking to capitalize on the defense bending toward Embiid, Harden, and Maxey. If he gets rolling early, he could have himself a very efficient night from deep.

While he may not be the key reason the Sixers win, Harris will be needed to match up with the Celtics' stellar wing players defensively and provide extra support on offense. Being the game's leader in triples will be tough with so many other players who are used to shooting triples more often but Harris should at least be the Sixers' key marksman for the season opener.

1. The Sixers take down the Celtics

Regardless of who scores the points for each side, this game should be a very close one. The Celtics will not be easy to defeat on their homecourt but the Sixers will bring a strong fight to TD Garden.

The Sixers now have the defensive personnel to keep up with the Celtics and numerous options on offense on top of strong depth. Having Paul Reed and Montrezl Harrell off the bench will be immensely helpful, as will De'Anthony Melton. Harden's playmaking alongside several shooters and two dominant scorers will stretch the Boston defense quite thin. Philadelphia wants to prove its worth on defense this season, so right away, they should be able to make life tough for Tatum and company.

The 2022-23 NBA season opener should be a back-and-forth affair that ends with the Sixers taking the win.

Final score prediction: Sixers 101, Celtics 99