76ers vs. Celtics pick: NBA predictions, odds, best bets
On a day littered with likely blowouts, the Celtics and 76ers face off in a critical game for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference – and another chance for Sixers star Joel Embiid to build on his NBA MVP case.
The two-time runner-up hasn’t been quite as otherworldly since leapfrogging Nikola Jokic on the MVP oddsboard, and his team has suffered as a result.
Can Embiid and Co. get right in this one against a surging Celtics squad playing some of its best basketball of the season?
Here’s how we’re betting Tuesday’s contest, which tips off at 8 p.m. ET on TNT.
76ers vs. Celtics pick
- Celtics +2.5 (-115 BetMGM)
76ers vs. Celtics prediction and analysis
Even with home-court advantage, it’s a bit surprising to see the 76ers favored in this spot, as the Celtics have been the better team all year long and especially as of late.
No team has been better on a per-possession basis than Boston, which leads the league in net rating (+6.7) with the NBA’s second-best offensive rating (117.3) and fourth-best defensive rating (110.7) across the full season.
This team has been even better since the All-Star break, outscoring opponents by a league-best 8.0 points per 100 possessions with a 12-7 record over that stretch.
Over the last month alone, the C’s have won nine of 12 games with a preposterous +14.0 net rating – easily the best in the NBA over that stretch.
We saw that on full display on Thursday when Boston blasted the league-leading Bucks by 41 points to close the gap for the No. 1 seed in the East.
Three days later, those very Bucks beat the 76ers by 13 points.
And while it’s never quite that simple in the NBA, it certainly doesn’t help Philly’s case ahead of Tuesday’s tilt.
That loss extended Philly’s current 2-4 spiral, with the only wins coming against the dysfunctional Mavericks and the injury-riddled Raptors.
We haven’t seen the best from Embiid, who scored 46 points to open this six-game spell but hasn’t reached 30 points since.
The X-factor for Tuesday’s matchup is Jaylen Brown (back), who hasn’t missed a game since February but is questionable for this one.
Still, with the way Jayson Tatum is playing – he’s averaging 35.4 points on 60.2% shooting over his last five games – the Celtics should take care of business in this one regardless of Brown’s status.
- 76ers -2.5 (-105), moneyline -140
- Celtics +2.5 (-115), moneyline +115
- O/U 227.5 (over -115)
