Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics NBA odds, Game 1 prediction
A long-time Eastern Conference rivalry will be rekindled on Sunday afternoon, when the Boston Celtics host the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 1 of their NBA playoffs first-round series at TD Garden. The Celtics secured second place in the East while winning 13 of their final 16 regular season contests, and will be vying for a fifth straight series victory in fifth-round action and a seventh straight playoff series win over Philadelphia. The 76ers claimed the No. 7 seed in the East after topping Orlando 109-97 in NBA Play-In Tournament action, extending their overall win streak to three games, and will be looking to claim their first playoff series win in three years.
The Celtics get set to open the series as 12.5-point favourites on the NBA odds board, while the 76ers trail as lengthy +550 underdogs on the NBA moneyline, and the total is pegged at 213.5. The Celtics are also perched as massive -1250 chalk on the NBA series prices, while the Sixers trail as a distant +750 bet to earn their first series win over Boston since 1982.
76ers vs. Celtics NBA Betting Odds
The Celtics and Sixers split four meeting during the regular season, with each club claiming a road victory. But overall, Boston has dominated in head-to-head action with the 76ers, claiming the win in eight of their past 11 scheduled clashes, but have gone just 2-2 SU in their past four regular season dates with Philly on home court. The Celtics have also regularly outclassed the 76ers while claiming victory in six straight playoff series matchups. Boston needed seven games to vanquish the Sixers when they last met in in the postseason three years ago, but went 12-4 while dominating their previous three series clashes. The Celtics’ strong stretch run and history of dominance over Philadelphia certainly has not hurt them on the NBA futures, where they lead the way as +150 favourites to win the East, and trail only Oklahoma City and San Antonio as a short +550 bet on the NBA championship odds. Conversely, the Sixers sit well off the pace as a +5000 bet to reach the NBA Finals and a +250 longshot to raise the trophy.
Philadelphia 76ers
Tyrese Maxey played an enormous role in the Sixers’ march into the postseason, particularly in the club’s Play-In Tourney win over the Magic, in which he scored a team-high 31 points to go along with six assists. Overall, Maxey led the squad this season with 28.3 points, 6.6 helpers, and 1.9 steals per game. Maxey also generated 30 points per game in four dates with the Celtics, highlighted by an epic 40-point performance at TD Garden on Opening Night, and offers value as a -120 bet on the NBA player props to record OVER 32.5 points + assists on Sunday afternoon.
However, the Sixers will have to make do without the services of Joel Embiid in Game 1. Embiid has seen action in just seven games since the NBA All-Star Break, but was swinging back into form with double-doubles in his final tow regular season appearances, but is sidelined with an abdominal injury.
Boston Celtics
The Celtics endured a rash of injuries in the final days of the regular season, and it remains to be seen how those health issues will impact the lineup in Game 1. Topping the list of walking wounded is Jayson Tatum, who was limited to just 16 games late in the season by a ruptured Achilles tendon. Tatum has been used sparingly down the stretch, last seeing action versus New York on April 9, and has not produced at his typical pace, averaging just 21.8 points per game. The 28-year-old big man has also missed time in each of the club’s past two playoff runs due to injury.
Top scorer Jaylen Brown has also been limited by an Achilles injury that has forced him to sit out several games down the stretch. But Brown has produced when he has played, averaging 31.4 points over his past 11 appearances, and tallied 27 points per game in four dates with Philly this season.
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