In the only nationally televised game in the NBA tonight, the Celtics will head to Philadelphia to play the Sixers at 8 p.m. ET on TNT. The Celtics will look to complete the four-game season sweep of their Atlantic division rivals. The last time these teams squared off on Feb. 25, Boston won 110-107 thanks to a game-winning three-pointer from All-Star forward Jayson Tatum.
The Celtics (54-24) enter tonight's game as winners of four out of their past five games, including two-straight wins over the Bucks and the Jazz. In their win over Utah, Tatum went off for 39 points on an efficient 12-of-17 shooting from the field and 5-of-8 from three-point range. He also grabbed 11 rebounds in the eight-point win at home. The Celtics also got a nice boost from their bench as Malcolm Brogdon had 19 points, seven assists, and three assists, while Grant Williams added 13 points, five rebounds, and two assists. Boston is the second seed in the Eastern Conference but only two games behind the Bucks for first place.
The Sixers (51-27) have lost three out of their past five games, including Sunday's 117-104 loss to the Bucks. Philadelphia didn't have any answers for Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had 33 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists. The Sixers also struggled defensively, allowing the Bucks to shoot 57.5 percent from the field. Tyrese Maxey led Philly with 29 points (9-15 FG, 6-7 3pt), four rebounds, and two assists, while Joel Embiid dropped 28 points, nine rebounds, and five assists. Philadelphia is likely locked into the three seed as they are three games behind the Celtics, with four games left in the regular season.
Can the Celtics finish the season sweep, or will the Sixers pick up a much-needed win as they prepare for the playoffs? Below, we'll break down this quality matchup while giving our prediction and best bets for basketball fans looking to win some cash.
Sixers vs. Celtics odds, picks, predictions
- Spread: Boston +2.5 (-115); Philadelphia -2.5 (-105)
- Over/Under: 227.5
- Moneyline: Celtics +115; Sixers -140
Based on how the first three meetings played out this season, it's not surprising to see a short spread for tonight's game. The Celtics have played well on the road this season, rocking a 25-15 record away from TD Garden. However, since returning from the All-Star break, Boston is only 7-5 on the road and 6-6 against the spread. Overall, the Celtics are 5-1 ATS as road underdogs this season.
Head into tonight, the only notable injury for Boston is Jaylen Brown, who is listed as "questionable" with lower back pain. If Brown cannot play, it would be a significant loss offensively for the Celtics, but surprisingly they are 9-3 this season in games without him. As for the Sixers, they've played good basketball at home this season (28-11). However, they are 5-5 in their past 10 games and 5-3 in their last eight contests at the Wells Fargo Center.
For the Sixers to win tonight, they must defend the three-point line better, which doomed them in their last loss to the Celtics. Boston shot 44.4 percent from beyond the arc compared to just 33.3 percent for Philadelphia. The good news for Sixers fans is that opponents are shooting 34.9 percent from three-point range in their last two wins at home. We'll bank on that continuing and take the Sixers on the moneyline as they look to avoid the season sweep.
Best Bet: Sixers ML
Best player prop bet for Celtics vs. Sixers: Tyrese Maxey OVER 20.5 points (-110)
The third-year combo guard has been lighting it up from the perimeter and playing aggressively over the last couple of weeks, which is excellent news for the Sixers and bettors. Maxey is scoring 19.7 points per game over his past 10 games on 54.4-percent shooting from the field and 51.3 percent from three. It will be a tough matchup for Maxey tonight as the Celtics are allowing the fourth-fewest points per game to SGs (21.9) this season. However, he does have a 21-point outing against Boston and has scored more than 20.5 points in eight out of his past 10 games.
