The NBA playoff race is heating up and the Boston Celtics will have a chance to repeat. They host the Philadelphia 76ers for a divisional battle and final meeting of the season. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series with a 76ers-Celtics prediction and pick.
The 76ers defeated the Celtics on Christmas day earlier this season but since then have lost two straight to their rivals. It’s been a very disappointing year for the Sixers, there is no other way to put it. At 21-40, they don’t have a good chance of making the play-in tournament as the 12th seed currently. They are 2.5 games behind the Chicago Bulls for the 10th seed but it doesn’t seem like the Sixers have a strong run in them to overtake that standing.
The Celtics are coming off an impressive bounce-back win over the Denver Nuggets, 110-103. Before that, they lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a game they should have won. At home, they were up 25-3 early and ended up losing by seven. The Cavs are a serious contender this year and they split the season series with the Celtics. However, the Celtics blew two of those games with late leads and could have swept the Cavs in what would have been a stunning scenario. Now, the Celtics are 43-18 and eight games behind the Cavs in the East. Cleveland will finish as the No. 1 seed.
Here are the 76ers-Celtics NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: 76ers-Celtics Odds
Philadelphia 76ers: +14 (-106)
Moneyline: +610
Boston Celtics: -14 (-114)
Moneyline: -900
Over: 222.5 (-110)
Under: 222.5 (-110)
How To Watch 76ers vs. Celtics
Time: 7:30 ET/4:30 PT
TV: TNT/Max
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the 76ers Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Sixers recently defeated the Golden State Warriors in impressive fashion. Quentin Grimes had a career night with 44 points on 18-24 shooting and 6-9 from deep. Tyrese Maxey shot just 2-14 and they still won that game. Former Celtic Guerschon Yabusele was 5-7 from deep and had 18 off the bench. They will be without Joel Embiid of course, so if Grimes and Yabusele can hit from range again then they can cover this spread. The Sixers must be able to convert from beyond the arc to have a shot on the road at the TD Garden.
Since that win, they are 0-2 with losers to the Blazers and Timberwolves, last time out. Grimes scored 30 points in the loss to the Wolves as the former University of Houston guard is really taking advantage of his new role. He is now averaging 11.6 points per game on the season.
The 76ers injury report is in dismay. Embiid is out, and Jared McCain, Kyle Lowry, Eric Gordon also all remain out. Tyrese Maxey will not play in this game either. Paul George and Justin Edwards are questionable.
The Sixers are just 22-39 against the spread but are 34-26-1 on over/under’s.
Why the Celtics Could Cover the Spread/Win
Boston needs convincing wins. This is an opportunity to get one. They are big favorites but are coming off a stretch of playing good teams. They will take Luka Doncic, Lebron James, and the Los Angeles Lakers for a huge showdown after this contest. So, the Celtics will be looking for extra momentum for that battle.
The Celtics are 8-3 in their last 11 games. Jayson Tatum is playing MVP-level basketball right now and is the only consistent player on the team. He is playing some of the best basketball of his career. Tatum is 6th in the league in scoring at 26.8 points per game and adds 8.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.1 steals, and shoots 45.2% from the floor. He scored 46 points in the loss against the Cavs but it was not enough to get them the win.
The Celtics injury report is also concerning. For the contest against Portland on Wednesday night, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis did not play. They may or may not play in this contest. Tatum did not play with a shoulder impingement. Derrick White and Payton Prichard are probable for this game and played their best games of the season on Wednesday night. They combined for 84 points in the win over Portland.
Boston is 26-34-1 ATS and 27-33-1 on over/under’s.
Final 76ers-Celtics Prediction & Pick
The Celtics should easily win this game and cover the spread against the Sixers. Both teams are banged up but the Celtics are much better regardless. They are on a back-to-back as they beat the Blazers on Wednesday but they should be healthier with Tatum likely to play after sitting against Portland.
Final 76ers-Celtics Prediction & Pick: Celtics -14 (-110)
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