Boston Celtics (43-17) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (39-19)
February 25, 2023 8:30 pm EDT
The Line: Philadelphia 76ers +1.5; Over/Under: +229
(Get latest betting odds)
The Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers duke it out at the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday night.
The Boston Celtics have been in great shape as they’ve won eight of their last 10 games overall and they will be aiming for a third straight victory after beating the Pacers in a 142-138 overtime win on Thursday. Jayson Tatum led the team with 31 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, Jaylen Brown added 30 points, Malcolm Brogdon scored 24 points with seven assists while Derrick White chipped in with 17 points. As a team, the Celtics shot 51 percent from the field and 18 of 39 from the 3-point line as they looked to be in trouble when they squandered a 16-point lead in regulation, but they kept their heads and were able to close it out in overtime thanks to Tatum who scored the team’s final four points.
Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers have been on a tear as they’ve won 14 of their last 17 games overall and they will be aiming for a sixth straight victory after beating the Grizzlies in a thrilling 110-105 win on Thursday. James Harden led the team with 31 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, Joel Embiid added 27 points with 19 rebounds and six blocks while Tobias Harris chipped in with 20 points. As a team, the 76ers shot just 40 percent from the field and 13 of 36 from the 3-point line as they struggled to find their offense and quickly found themselves trailing by double-digits after allowing 37 points in the first quarter. The 76ers trailed in this one until the fourth quarter where they were finally able to get over the hump as Harden and Harris really picked up their scoring to help Embiid who shot just seven of 25 from the field.
Looking at the betting trends, the Celtics are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 games against a team above .600, 4-0 ATS in their last four games against a team with a winning record and 6-1 ATS in their last seven games overall. The 76ers are 21-6 ATS in their last 27 home games, 4-0 ATS in their last four games against a team with a winning record and 5-0 ATS in their last five games overall.
Head to head, the over is 4-0 in the last four meetings in Philadelphia, the Celtics are 1-4 ATS in the last five meetings in Philadelphia and the Celtics are 3-7 ATS in the last 10 meetings overall.
We are all set for the game of the night as the Celtics visit the 76ers in a clash of two Eastern Conference giants. The Celtics were able to get healthy over the All-Star break and they will be feeling good after outlasting the Pacers in a thrilling overtime win on Thursday, while the 76ers have now won five straight after rallying back from a 17-point deficit to stun the Grizzlies in their last outing. You can make an argument for either side here, but I’ll stick with the 76ers to get the win at home, unless Embiid decides to sit this one out.
