Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers Game 3 Prediction, NBA Playoff Odds
The Philadelphia 76ers will be looking to tally consecutive wins over the Boston Celtics for the first time in almost three years when these long-time Eastern Conference rivals continue their first-round playoff series on Friday night with Game 3 at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
The 76ers shook off a lopsided 123-91 loss in Game 1 by powering to a 111-97 victory on Tuesday night, knotting the series two games apiece, but have lost 11 of 16 overall clashes with Boston since last notching back-to-back wins over the Celtics when they last met in the postseason in 2023.
Tuesday’s defeat put the brakes on a three-game win streak for the Celtics. However, Boston has demonstrated resilience in recent weeks, avoiding consecutive defeats while going 14-4 in 18 outings since March 12.
The Celtics lead the way as 7.5-point favourites on the Game 3 odds, while the 76ers trail as lengthy +245 underdogs on the NBA moneyline, and the total is pegged at 215.5. The Celtics also remain perched as -588 chalk on the NBA series prices, while the Sixers trail as a distant but improved +425 bet to earn their first series win over Boston since 1982.
Celtics vs. 76ers NBA Betting Odds
The Sixers atoned for a dismal outing in Game 1 with a scrappy performance on Tuesday night, overcoming an early double-digit deficit to seize an eight-point lead at the half. The club effectively contained the Boston attack after recess, limiting the Celtics to just 43 second-half points in just their sixth sub-100-point outing since mid-January. However, they still have work to do a reverse a 1-4 SU slide in their past five dates with Boston on home hardwood.
The Celtics arrive in Philly looking to get past a middling run on the road, where they have won just four of their past eight overall, and also covered the spread just four times over that stretch. And while the Celtics have won six straight when favoured on the road by 7+ points, they have covered in just two of their past four, and are winless ATS in three straight visits to Philly when favoured by seven or more points.
None of those trends have dampened the Celtics’ position as +145 favourites to claim the Eastern Conference crown and a +600 wager on the NBA championship odds. Conversely, the Sixers lag as +3500 longshots to win the East and a long +25000 bet on the NBA Finals futures.
Boston Celtics
The Celtics leaned heavily on their starters in Game 2, with Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Derrick White each playing 38+ minutes. The heavy workload was no problem for Brown, who racked up a game-high 36 points to go along with seven rebounds, and has now averaged 31 points in the series and 30.7 points over his past seven overall outings.
Tatum turned in a second straight double-double with 19 points and 14 boards, and has now averaged 12.1 rebounds and 23.1 points in seven outings so far this month. However, Tatum and brown emerged as the only Celtics to score in the double-digits on a night when the team converted just 39 per cent from the floor while going just 13-for-50 from beyond the arc.
Philadelphia 76ers
While the Celtics struggled to find the mark, the 76ers overcame adversity while converting 48 per cent from the floor in their Game 2 win. A breakthrough performance from guard VJ Edgecombe powered the attack, with the talented 20-year-old leading the club with 30 points on 60 per cent shooting including a 6-for-10 mark on threes. Edgecombe also pulled down 10 rebounds to record his second double-double in three games and has averaged 7.5 boards over his past eight outings.
Edgecombe’s bust-out night was welcomed by Tyrese Maxey, who has carried this team while veteran star Joel Embiid has been sidelined. Maxey dropped 29 points on the night including five threes, and added nine assists and has now averaged 25 points and 8.5 helpers so far in the series.
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