Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics Picks, Predictions, Odds

The 2022-23 NBA regular season will begin on Tuesday night with a heavyweight Eastern Conference clash between the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics. Coverage begins from TD Garden in Boston at 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT.

Updated on 03/28/2024
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PHILADELPHIA 76ERS vs. BOSTON CELTICS BETTING PREDICTION

The Celtics earned the second seed in the East with a record of 51-31 last season, and ultimately, went on to represent the conference in the NBA Finals. However, it wasn’t exactly a smooth ride to the top, as Boston carried a miserable 18-21 record into mid-January before flipping the script with an impressive 33-10 run to close the regular season.

The Sixers, on the other hand, also finished 51-31 last season, however, Philly wound up with the fourth seed in the conference after getting the short-end of the stick in a three-way-tie for second place with Boston and Milwaukee. Philly’s first postseason trip following the acquisition of James Harden was ultimately disappointing, as the Sixers fell to Miami in six games in the second round. But this squad was clearly feeling the fatigue of a very high-paid player sitting out all season, so it’s tough to blame them for running out of gas down the homestretch.

I’ll back Philly here, as Boston rode the coattail of its defense all the way to the NBA Finals last season, as the Celtics finished the year ranked first in points allowed and second in team defensive rating (104.5 PPG, 106.9 DRtg), however, I think we’ll see them struggle to defend the paint without Robert Williams (knee) and Daniel Theis (trade) there to help anchor the ship down low, especially against powerhouse frontcourts like the Sixers.

Score Prediction: Sixers 112, Celtics 106
Best Bet: Sixers ML (+115)

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS vs. BOSTON CELTICS BETTING ODDS

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PHILADELPHIA 76ERS vs. BOSTON CELTICS BETTING RESOURCES

Date: Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022
Matchup: Atlantic
Venue: TD Garden
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Time-TV: TNT, 7:30 p.m. ET

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS BETTING ANALYSIS

Ben Simmons isn’t exactly a Top 10 player in the league, however, due to the nature of the league’s economic structure, it still costs a huge chunk of a team’s annual budget to roster an All-Star caliber player like Simmons, which in turn, means less money to go around for supporting pieces.

In most scenarios, overpaying star players has proven beneficial. However, it also carries the opposite effect in cases of significant injury, or in Philly’s case, Simmons simply deciding not to play, as it leaves an enormous hole in the rotation and forces a handful of low-budget role pieces to play meaningful minutes.

At face value, Harden might not seem like an enormous upgrade over Simmons. But at least he’s out on the floor, and that alone, should make the Sixers a much better squad this season.

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The Celtics are 1-7 ATS in their last eight matchups against Philadelphia. (Getty Images)

BOSTON CELTICS BETTING ANALYSIS

The Celtics were very close to sounding the panic alarms near the midway point of last season, as Boston teetered on the edge of playoff contention with a record of 18-21 with just 43 games left to play, and elected to bring back Al Horford and Daniel Theis in last ditch effort to make run.

It didn’t always show up on the stat sheet during their 33-10 run, but the Celtics looked like a completely different team with its defensive identity back intact, so I worry for them after losing a few key pieces of the puzzle during the offseason. That said, Malcolm Brogdon should be perfect fit for this defensive minded Boston squad, and I can’t wait to see him get acclimated to this system.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS vs. BOSTON CELTICS BETTING TRENDS

  • The Sixers are 3-6 ATS in their last nine games.
  • The Celtics are 1-4 ATS in their last five games.
  • The total has gone UNDER in eight of Philadelphia's last 11 games.
  • The total has gone UNDER in four of Boston's last five games.
  • The Celtics are 2-4 ATS in their last six home games.
  • The Sixers are 3-6 SU in their last nine games.
  • The Sixers are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games against Boston.
  • The Sixers are 5-2 SU in their last seven games against Boston.
  • The Sixers are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 road games.
  • The total has gone UNDER in five of Philadelphia's last six road games against Boston.