The Boston Celtics can claim their first 3-0 playoff series lead in seven years when they travel to Philadelphia on Saturday to take on the 76ers in Game 3 of their second-round playoff tilt as 9-point underdogs on the NBA odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Boston remained perfect at home during the current postseason with a 108-103 win over the Sixers as a 3.5-point underdog on Thursday, and now takes a 2-0 series lead into Saturday’s Celtics vs. 76ers betting matchup at Wells Fargo Center.
The Celtics drew first blood with a lopsided 117-101 win as 5-point underdogs in Game 1 on Monday night, and showed impressive resilience while overcoming a 21-point deficit in Thursday’s victory to record their first consecutive outright wins as betting underdogs since March 31.
Boston has gone 15-14 straight up in 29 outings while sporting positive odds this season, but struggled down the stretch, going 1-7 SU in eight games as an underdog prior to the start of this series.
Boston’s red-hot start has led to a dramatic reversal in fortune for the club on the NBA playoff series prices, where they have climbed to a narrow -125 favorite after being pegged as a lengthy +325 bet prior to Game 1. The Celtics have also made gains on the NBA championship odds to +2800, well ahead of the +5000 odds they sported last weekend.
Early-series success has also extended the Celtics’ dominance over Philadelphia in recent years. Boston has taken 16 of 18 SU from the Sixers, including five of six overall this season, and is 7-1 SU in its past eight visits to Philly. The Celtics have been equally dominant at the sportsbooks this season, covering in five of their six meetings, but have produced mixed results on the road, covering just once in their past three trips to Philadelphia.
The 76ers enter Saturday’s contest looking to rebound from their first consecutive SU losses since February 27. Philadelphia has gone 24-6 SU in 30 overall outings since, and have been almost unbeatable during a 12-1 SU run on home hardwood.
The Sixers have also regularly rewarded bettors when pegged as big home chalk, going 10-0 SU and 8-2 ATS in their past 10 while favored by eight or more points, but are just 3-3 against the spread in their past six overall home contests. The Sixers have dipped to +1800 on the NBA championship odds, well back of the +900 odds they were listed at last weekend.
