Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers Game 6 Prediction, NBA Odds
Given little hope of getting past the high-powered Celtics going into this second-round matchup, the Sixers turned in another character performance in Tuesday’s 115-103 win in Boston to reclaim a 3-2 series lead.
The Sixers’ success has failed to move oddsmakers, who have listed them as 2.5-point home underdogs on the Thursday NBA odds. However, Philadelphia has finally emerged as betting chalk on the NBA playoff series prices, sporting -192 odds. Once perched as a dominating -833 favourite to win this series, the Celtics have tumbled to +142 longshots. The trend towards higher scoring is not reflected in the total, which is pegged at a series-low 212.
Celtics vs. 76ers NBA Playoffs Betting Odds
With Tuesday’s victory, the 76ers have now topped Boston in four of six overall contests after losing outright in each of their four previous meetings. However, Philadelphia has taken home the win in just three of six home dates with the Celtics, and split the first two games of the series played at Wells Fargo Center including a crushing 114-102 defeat in Game 2. Game 5 saw another win for sports bettors taking the OVER, which has paid out in four of the first five games of the series.
Overall, Philadelphia is 3-1 in their past four second-round Game 6 appearances while Boston is just 1-5 in their past six when playing Game 6 on the road in second-round action.
Boston Celtics
The Celtics fell behind early, and their fourth-quarter rally proved to be too little, too late in Tuesday’s 115-103 loss. Hobbled by dismal 39.8% shooting from the field, the Celtics trailed by as many as 15 points in the second quarter and saw that deficit increase to as many as 21 points in the final frame as the TD Garden voiced their displeasure with a chorus of boos.
Jayson Tatum remained the Celtics’ top producer, racking up a game-high 36 points and adding 10 rebounds to record a third straight double-double. However, it took a huge effort to generate those totals after the early NBA Finals MVP candidate missed his first six shots on the night. He ended by going just 11-for-27 overall. Jaylen Brown proved to be the tram’s most efficient shooter on the night, going 9-for-16 for 24 points, but just 3-for-8 from the line. Conversely, veteran big man Al Horford took a big step back, going pointless on 0-for-7 shooting while seeing his minutes dramatically cut for the second time in as many home appearances.
Philadelphia 76ers
The Sixers enjoy a golden opportunity to rewrite a losing narrative that dates back a generation when they hit the hardwood for Game 6. Eventual losers in their past six appearances in the second round, the 76ers enter Game 6 with a second-round series lead for the first time in 22 years. And an enormous portion of the credit for the Sixers’ success must go to Joel Embiid.
With his expected recovery time from a knee injury suffered in the first round originally being measured in weeks, little was expected from “The Process” in his early return to action. However, the newly crowned NBA MVP has responded with an epic performance, capped by his 33-point outing on Tuesday night. Embiid has now averaged 32.3 points per game over the past three contests, and has also averaged over 10 boards over that stretch. Tyrese Maxey got in on the action with his strongest outing of the series, dropping 30 points including six threes. James Harden saw his seesaw production continue with just 17 points, but played a huge playmaking role while tallying 10 assists.
BOS
PHI