The Philadelphia 76ers travel to the TD Garden to do battle with the Boston Celtics on Sunday night. Here’s a Celtics vs. 76ers prediction. This article will include a Celtics vs. 76ers pick.
Philadelphia 76ers Betting Preview
The Philadelphia 76ers are starting to heat up again as they are now gunning for a fourth straight victory after outlasting the Heat in a 124-117 home win on Thursday. Tyrese Maxey led the team with 28 points, 11 assists, and five steals; Joel Embiid added 26 points with 11 rebounds and four assists, while Kelly Oubre Jr. chipped in with 21 points on eight of 13 shooting. As a team, the 76ers shot 48 percent from the field and 17 of 43 from the 3-point line as they stormed out of the gates with 73 points in the first half to take a 16-point lead into halftime but they allowed the Heat back into the contest and were trailing on the scoreboard before they closed the final 2:24 on an 8-0 run to escape with the narrow win at home.
Boston Celtics Betting Preview
Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics have been on fire as they’ve won 10 of their last 12 games overall and they will be brimming with confidence after blowing past the Nets in a 148-111 home win on Friday. Jaylen Brown led the team with 28 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists on nine of 12 shooting; Nikola Vucevic added 28 points with 11 rebounds and four assists, while Payton Pritchard tallied 22 points with five assists. As a team, the Celtics shot a ridiculous 67 percent from the field and 22 of 34 from the 3-point line as they struggled to gain any separation in the first half despite getting off to a hot start, but it was one-way traffic after the halftime break as the Celtics exploded for 82 points in the second half to pull off one of their most dominant wins of the season.
Why the Boston Celtics will win
- The 76ers have lost each of their last 15 Sunday night games at TD Garden.
- The Celtics have won 15 of their last 16 night games on the first leg of a back-to-back.
- The Celtics have covered the spread in each of their last four games as favorites.
- The 76ers have failed to cover the spread in five of their last six games against opponents who are on the first leg of a back-to-back.
Why the Philadelphia 76ers will win
- The 76ers have won each of their last three games as road underdogs against Atlantic Division opponents.
- The Celtics have lost each of their last three games as home favorites against Atlantic Division opponents following a win.
- The Celtics have failed to cover the spread in each of their last five home games against teams that held a winning record.
- The 76ers have covered the spread in eight of their last nine road games following a home win.
Total Points: Facts
- Each of the 76ers’ last nine Sunday road games have gone OVER the total points line.
- Each of the Celtics’ last six home games following a home win has gone UNDER the total points line.
Boston Celtics Player Facts
- Payton Pritchard has recorded 12 games with 4+ assists and zero turnovers this season—most of any player in the league.
- Derrick White has recorded 55 games with 3+ assists this season—equal to the most of any player in the league.
Philadelphia 76ers Player Facts
- Tyrese Maxey ranks 1st amongst qualified players for steals per game (2.1) this season.
- Andre Drummond ranks 2nd amongst qualified players for rebounds per 36 minutes (15.8) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Celtics rank 1st in the league for opponent points per game this season (107.5).
- The Celtics rank 1st in the league for opponent steals per game this season (6.0).
- The 76ers rank 30th in the league for Q3 points per game this season (26.4).
- The 76ers rank 1st in the league for Q2 win percentage this season (71.2%).
Celtics vs 76ers Prediction
The 76ers are still missing Joel Embiid due to a right oblique strain, while the Celtics have ruled out Jayson Tatum again, with Baylor Scheierman listed as questionable due to a fractured left thumb. The 76ers are playing some good basketball at the moment and they’ve already beaten the Celtics twice out of three meetings this season, but they are going to be without Joel Embiid for this one. The Celtics head into this contest as one of the hottest teams in the league right now and I think they can square up the season series with a big win and cover in this one if they shoot anything like they did in their last outing.