NBA Odds: Celtics Look To Improve Home Record In Showdown With 76ers

The Boston Celtics will look for a third consecutive straight-up victory Friday night when they continue a four-game homestand with a date against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Boston continued to rack up big point totals with a 115-104 win over Utah as a 5 1/2-point home favorite on the NBA point spreads Tuesday, lifting the club to 8-2 SU in its past 10 games going into Friday night’s 76ers vs. Celtics betting matchup at TD Garden.

The Celtics’ offense has exploded during the team’s current hot streak, scoring 112 or more points in seven of eight games and forcing the point total over in each of those contests.

But that has masked a porous Boston defense, which has surrendered 110.8 points per game during that same stretch, including a 117-112 loss to Oklahoma City as 5 1/2-point home chalk, and last week’s 124-118 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers as a six-point road underdog.

While the Celtics’ inability to contain opposing offenses might present concerns, their recent play on home hardwood has not. Boston has won four of five at TD Garden, improving to 9-6 SU in home games this season. But the Celtics continue to be a disappointment at the sportsbooks at their own arena, sitting with a 6-9 ATS record at home.

The Celtics will have an opportunity to pad their ATS record at home against Philadelphia, which they have beaten in nine straight SU, 7-2 ATS, including four straight home victories.

However, the Celtics welcome a resurgent Sixers squad to town that rides a two-game SU and ATS win streak. Philadelphia escaped with a 93-91 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves as a 4 1/2-point underdog Tuesday after shocking the Denver Nuggets with a 124-122 win as 10-point road underdogs last Friday.

The 76ers also are 3-1 ATS in their past four games, and are 5-2 ATS in their past seven road dates, including three outright victories.

The Celtics keep busy with a visit from the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday before traveling to Toronto to battle the rival Raptors next Tuesday.

The Pelicans host the Atlanta Hawks as three-point betting favorites Thursday after seeing a four-game SU win streak end with a 90-82 loss in Cleveland as nine-point underdogs Monday. New Orleans also claimed a 106-105 win over the Celtics as 3 1/2-point home underdogs in mid-November, ending a four-game slide against Boston.

The Celtics have struggled in recent trips north of the border, going 2-8 SU and 4-6 ATS in their past 10 dates with the Raptors at the Air Canada Centre, according to the OddsShark NBA Database.

Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images