Philadelphia Remains Undefeated In the Playoffs | 76ers vs Celtics | OSB
Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics: Conference Semifinals Game 2 Prediction, Player Props, & Betting Tips
By Sam Batz
The NBA Playoffs are well underway and on Wednesday, May 3rd the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers will battle it out in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals in Boston’s acclaimed TD Garden (8:00 PM EST, TNT). The Sixers shocked the world with their win in Game 1. Philly was without their best player, Joel Embiid, yet the Sixers rallied and took down the heavily favored Celtics. Boston will look to recoup their losses and even up the series before heading to Philadelphia for Game’s 3 and 4. The Celtics are favored once again for Game 2, but after the Sixers Game 1 victory, this series is going to be tighter than we anticipated.
The Philadelphia 76ers (+10; ML +400)
The Sixers went 1-3 against the Celtics during the regular season, yet in Game 1, they took down the reigning Eastern Conference Champs 119-115. It was a remarkable victory, especially when you consider the fact that Philly was without their best player and MVP front-runner, Joel Embiid. The Sixers big-man and leading scorer was sidelined because of a knee injury he suffered in the First Round, and remains a question mark for Game 2. Of course Philly wants the big guy back, but the Sixers are now 13-5 (72.2%) without him, proving they don’t necessarily need Embiid. James Harden and Tyrese Maxey combined for 71 points and the team shot 44.7% from the 3-point line, allowing the Sixers to remain undefeated this postseason (5-0).
The Boston Celtics (-10; ML -550)
The Boston Celtics have the best odds to win the NBA Championship (+180) because they have vital playoff experience, a blistering offense, and play disciplined defense. The Celtics are the real deal, and after losing to Golden State in the Finals last year, they are playing with the proverbial chip on their shoulder, and are looking to destroy any opposition. Yet in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, it was Boston who found themselves on the losing end. Don’t get me wrong, the Celtics are very good, and they shot well in Game 1 (58.7% from the field and 38.5% from 3-point range), but they lost the turnover battle (Celtics: 16 turnovers; 76ers: 6 turnovers) and made comically avoidable mistakes in crunchtime. If Boston doesn’t take better care of the ball, they will find themselves in a 0-2 deficit heading into Philadelphia.
76ers vs. Celtics: Game 1 Odds
Team | Current Spread | Current Total | Opening Moneyline |
Philadelphia 76ers | +10 (-110) | Ov 217.5 (-110) | +400 |
Boston Celtics | -10 (-110) | Un 217.5 (-110) | -550 |
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76ers vs. Celtics: Playoff Stats
Philadelphia 76ers (3) 106.8 97.0 46.2% 41.5% 117.4 107.5 2-0 (100.0%) 3-0 (100.0%) | Stat Type Points/Game Opponent Points/Game Field Goal % Three-Point % Offensive Rating Defensive Rating Home Record (Win-Rate) Away Record (Win-Rate) | Boston Celtics (2) 120.3 116.3 52.1% 40.4% 119.9 116.3 2-2 (50.0%) 2-1 (66.7%) |
76ers vs. Celtics: Betting Trends (Regular + Postseason)
Philadelphia 76ers 51-34-1 25-18 (Away) 32-23-1 (vs. East) 47-40 2-3 13-13 (as Underdogs) 10-11 (Underdogs: Away) 1-0 (Playoff Underdogs) | Betting Trend ATS (Season) ATS (Home/Away) ATS (Conference) O/U (Season) O/U (Playoffs) ML (Favorite/Underdog) ML (Home/Away) ML (Playoffs) | Boston Celtics 49-39-1 26-19 (Home) 35-24 (vs. East) 46-41-2 5-2 52-21 (as Favorites) 30-9 (Favorites: Home) 4-3 (Playoff Favorites) |
76ers vs. Celtics: Player Props
James Harden (76ers Shooting Guard): Over 24.5 Points Scored (-110)
James Harden is a 10x NBA All-Star, 6x All-NBA First Team selection, 3x scoring champion, and 1x MVP. But the Sixers Shooting Guard is not what he used to be. Harden has slowed with age, and his once great scoring ability has dwindled. Yet he recorded 45-points in Game 1, and with Embiid out, Harden has become the de facto offensive weapon in Philadelphia. I predict James Harden will go over 24.5 points in Game 2.
Jaylen Brown (Celtics Shooting Guard): Over 24.5 Points Scored (-125)
Jaylen Brown is averaging 26.1 points per game for the Celtics in the playoffs. He had a quiet 23 points in Game 1 against Philly, but nearly played the entire game. Jayson Tatum had 39 points in Game 1, and leads the Celtics in scoring, but Brown is a close second. Tatum is often double-teamed, leaving room for Jaylen to work, and in Game 2, I predict Brown will go over 24.5 points.
76ers vs. Celtics: Game 1 Prediction
Take the 76ers to cover the spread. Boston has a good chance to win the game, but the Sixers will keep too close, and could even pull off another upset. Embiid remains questionable, but as highlighted above, the Sixers play well without him. The Celtics will do everything in their power to avoid dropping another home game, but with the way Philly is shooting, especially from the 3-point line, look for the Sixers to keep it close in Game 2.
Prediction: Philadelphia 76ers Cover (+10)
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