Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics Prediction, NBA Odds
The Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics were both considered legit championship contenders at the start of the season, but as they prepare to meet at TD Garden on Wednesday night, neither team is currently in a playoff spot. The 76ers are coming in off an ugly 101-96 win over Orlando on Monday, while the Celtics beat Toronto 109-97 on Sunday.
Boston opened as a 2-point favourite to win on the NBA odds, with a total of 210.5.
76ers vs. Celtics NBA Betting Odds
Philadelphia had the Celtics’ number last season, winning all three meetings, which broke Boston’s five-game win streak in the head-to-head series.
The 76ers have hit a bit of a tailspin lately and dropped eight of their last 11 games. They’re 10-11 against the spread, covering in seven of 11 road games. The total has gone Under in five of Philadelphia’s last seven games.
TD Garden has benefitted the Celtics as they’ve won five of their last six home games. Boston has also won 15 of their last 18 against the 76ers at TD. For the season, the Celtics are 11-10 ATS and have covered in four of nine home contests. The total has gone Under in six of Boston’s last nine games overall.
Philadelphia 76ers
Despite entering the game as a 14-point favourite, it came down to the wire in Philadelphia’s win against an Orlando Magic team with the worst record in the NBA. Seth Curry led the way with 24 points, while Tobias Harris had 17 points and nine rebounds. Joel Embiid had a quiet game by his standards, finishing with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Andre Drummond added 12 rebounds and finished with seven points.
It was just Embiid’s second game back since returning from a bout with COVID, which he said gave him serious headaches and caused him breathing trouble. Other big parts of the lineup have missed time because of COVID protocols, including Harris and Danny Green. The majority of the starting roster (minus Ben Simmons of course) is just getting back together now, so that lack of opportunity to build chemistry is likely the main reason the 76ers have been off to a slow start this year.
Boston Celtics
Marcus Smart led the way for the Celtics in the road win in Toronto on Sunday, finishing with 21 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Josh Richardson added 18 points, while Al Horford had 17 points and 11 rebounds. It was a relatively quiet game for stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Brown, who is averaging 22.4 points per game this season, finished with 16 points, three rebounds and three assists, while Tatum, who averages a team-high 24.8 ppg, had eight points, seven boards and 10 dimes. Dennis Schroder (ankle) and Robert Williams III (knee) are both expected to be back in the lineup on Wednesday.
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