The NBA schedule tips off its season with the Philadelphia 76ers visiting the Boston Celtics, who are coming off an NBA Finals trip. The Celtics squandered a 2-1 series lead as the Golden State Warriors were crowned NBA champions.
Boston will surely have an Eastern Conference championship banner to raise before the 7:30 p.m. ET starts Tuesday at TD Garden in Boston.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics
76rs vs. Celtics Matchup Info
- Time and Date: October 18, 2022, 7:30 p.m
- Location: Boston, Massachusetts
- Venue: TD Garden
- How to Watch: TNT
A glance at last year’s 76ers vs. Celtics betting picks show the teams split the season series straight up. However, the 76ers covered three of those four meetings.
NBA Matchups
The over/under was also split. One of the most popular NBA matchups has seen the franchises have met 459 times in the regular season, with the Celtics winning 264 games and the 76ers the other 195.
Remarkably, the two teams ended up with the same 51-31 record last season. The Celtics got off to a horrible start but rebounded in January and looked like the best team in the league from then on.
Boston got the second seed in the East while the 76ers were fourth, with the Milwaukee Bucks – who had the same record – earning the third seed. Philadelphia reached the league semifinals but lost in six games to the Miami Heat.
Philadelphia 76ers
It was a weird year and remarkable that the 76ers won 50 games and hosted a playoff series after starting with Ben Simmons, who wouldn’t play, and then acquired James Harden in a blockbuster deal at the trade deadline.
Harden is back alongside veteran forward Tobias Harris and superstar center Joel Embiid, the MVP runner-up last season.
Young Guards
Young guards Tyrese Maxey, De’Anthony Melton, and Matisse Thybulle complement an otherwise veteran roster, which added reserve forward P.J. Tucker and sharp defensive presence Montrezl Harrell.
Though Embiid is the only center, the small ball days Daryl Morey had in Houston are still in play on a smaller scale.
NBA player stats show Embiid led the league in scoring at 30.6 points per game, along with averages of:
- 11.7 rebounds
- 4.2 assists
- 1.5 blocks
- 1.1 steals per game
He’s the complete package and played a career-high 68 games last season.
Key Injuries
The lone entry on the 76ers’ injury report is veteran forward P.J. Tucker, who is questionable with a knee injury.
Betting Trends to Know
Philadelphia finished 3-12-1 against the spread over their final 16 away games. Meanwhile, the under is 5-1 in the last six meetings with the Celtics in Boston.
The 76ers are 7-1 against the spread in the last eight meetings, regardless of location.
Boston Celtics
NBA team stats showed the Celtics were the top defensive team a season ago. The foundation of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown goes a long way in defending the perimeter, and having a reigning defensive player of the year, Marcus Smart, return makes the Celtics a favorite to do so again.
Adding Derrick White at the trade deadline was a key addition. Expect the signing of veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon to bolster the rotation even more.
Versability
Along with the versatile Grant Williams, veterans Blake Griffin and Noah Vonleh were additions to the frontcourt.
Due to an off-the-court issue, the Celtics will have Joe Mazzulla in his first season of coaching. The organization suspended Ime Udoka for internal issues that were alleged affairs and crude language with a female staff member.
Key Injuries
Unfortunately for the Celtics, Danilo Gallinari was lost for the season when he suffered a knee injury during an international competition. Reserve center Robert Williams III is likely out until December.
Meanwhile, fellow reserve center Luke Kornet is questionable with an ankle issue. Smart is probably with a groin injury.
Betting Trends to Know
When the Celtics had a poor defensive night, they seemed to bounce back. They are 4-0 against the spread in their last four games after allowing more than 125 points in their previous game. The over is 6-1 in their last seven such games.
76ers vs. Celtics Odds Breakdown
The first line of the season sees the Celtics as three-point favorites at -107 odds. The over/under is set at 214.5, also -107 odds. The Boston moneyline is -170, while the 76ers’ moneyline is +140.
So far, 76ers vs. Celtics betting picks show 55% of public bets are on the Celtics against the spread, and another 55% of public bets are on the over.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics Betting Picks
Moneyline
Boston is a little bigger in the frontcourt when Embiid is on the bench, and they can throw more bodies at him throughout the game. Their versatility and depth make them our pick on the moneyline at -170.
Over/Under
This is a higher total than any in the series last season. Plus, teams are not yet in a rhythm early in the season and may not have their shooting touch down.
Given the defensive effort of the Celtics, which shouldn’t go away, that gives us reason to go under. Only the Celtics’ 135-87 win on Feb. 15 would have reached the 214.5 over the past five meetings in the series.
Spread
In that same meeting, the Celtics snapped a streak of seven straight 76ers wins against the spread. It was a two-point spread, then.
One-possession games are so complex that if you’re taking a moneyline it’s best to also take the spread, so we’ll go Celtics -3.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics Score Prediction
Now that you have 76ers vs. Celtics betting picks, we’ll go further and offer a final score. It should be a tightly contested game, and I wouldn’t fault anyone for picking Philly, but it should be an emotionally charged night on the parquet floor in Boston.
Expect a strong defensive effort to lock down Harden on the perimeter and allow other players to beat the Celtics. Al Horford has been strong defensively and matches up well with Embiid on that side of the floor.
Score Prediction: Celtics 97, 76ers 91
NBA Pick: Celtics -2 (-110)
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