Game 3 Celtics vs 76ers Picks, Odds & Props (May 5)

Answering back with a vengeance, the Celtics (62-28, 27-17 away) destroyed the 76ers (59-29, 31-12 home) by 34 points in Game 2 after losing the series opener to a Philly team that didn’t have the league MVP, Joel Embiid in the lineup. The big man was back for Game 2, but it didn’t matter much, as Boston dominated.

With the series squared at one game apiece, things swing over to Philadelphia for Game 3 on Friday, May 5th. Tipoff for this contest is scheduled for 7:30 pm ET and can be seen on ESPN and TSN. The 76ers easily won both of their first round home games and are hoping for more of the same against the Celtics.

We dish out the Celtics vs 76ers odds for Game 3 below, while also providing analysis leading to our best bet and prediction. After some of the stars had some awful performances last time out, we’ll tell you which players we are targeting in our prop picks as well.

Celtics vs 76ers Game 3 Odds

It was a tough return to the court for Embiid as the Celtics came out angry and determined after going down a game in the series. Even with home court advantage, the 76ers are +110 moneyline underdogs when they host Boston in Game 3.

As -130 chalk on the moneyline, the Celtics have an implied win probability of 56.52% to take the series lead, while Philly has a 47.62% probability to win in their first home game in over two weeks.

Odds as of May 4th at DraftKings Sportsbook. 

Celtics vs 76ers Betting Trends

Prior to Game 2, would you believe it if I told you the Celtics would win by over 30 points with Jayson Tatum playing under 20 minutes and making just one field goal?

Well, that’s what happened, as the defense led by Jaylen Brown harassed Philly into shooting under 40% from the floor and putting up just 87 points total, the 76ers worst offensive output since November!

Any emotional boost that Embiid may have provided was quickly put to bed by Boston. They tested the MVP’s knee injury constantly, putting him in space and attacking him in the pick-and-roll to see how much running he could handle. He finished with just 15 points in 27 minutes of action.

Even more concerning was the output from James Harden, who almost singlehandedly won the first game for the Sixers. Defended heavily and closely by Brown, The Beard was a terrible 2-for-14 from the floor and missed each of his six attempts from beyond the arc. With that kind of production from their stars, it’s no wonder the 76ers are underdogs in the NBA odds.

No offense to Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey, but one of those two will need to step up their performance big time if the 76ers are going to advance to the next stage of the NBA playoff bracket.

For Boston, while defense was the main reason for their big win, the scoring was spread out throughout the roster which was needed with Tatum struggling. The Celtics superstar had just seven points, his lowest output of the entire campaign. Luckily for him, Boston’s bench contributed 54 points to the victory.

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 4, 2023