Celtics-76ers Preview: Philly in Revenge, Bounce Back Spot

The NBA is winding down with only a week until the Play-In Tournament games begin. Still, tonight we have a historic rivalry renewed once more in South Philly between the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics. The Sixers and Celtics are the two and three seeds in the East and look to be on a crash course to meet in the Conference Semifinals.Celtics @ 76ers Game Information

• Location: Wells Fargo Center | Philadelphia, PA
• Time: 8:00 p.m. ET | TV: TNT

Much of the talk surrounding the Sixers centered around Joel Embiid, the favorite on the FanDuel Sportsbook (-200) to win his first MVP. Historic season (league-leading 33 points per game) aside, what truly matters is that he’s healthy heading into the playoffs. Philly has had a few bumps lately, but this is the best team around, the best version of Embiid we’ve seen.

Boston is Boston. We know that they’re great. They had a rough patch that caused some concern in early March but responded nicely, winning seven of their last ten. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are playing out of their minds, averaging over 26.5 points per game. 

• Spread: Celtics +2 (-110) | 76ers -2 (-110)
• Moneyline: Celtics (+114) | 76ers (-134)
• Total: Over 227.5 (-110) | Under 227.5 (-110)

The Celtics have swept the season series 3-0 thus far, with the most recent matchup in late February ending with a Tatum game-winning three as time nearly expired—a little revenge is in store. Plus, Brown is not expected to play.

The Sixers are coming off a primetime game on Sunday, where they lost by double digits to the Milwaukee Bucks, and they have bounced back well this season, ranked third in the league in cover% in games after a loss. These teams aren’t giving up on the season, so I’ll ride with the home team for some payback in a bounce-back spot. 

• James Harden OVER 19.5 Points (-113)
• Jayson Tatum OVER 30.5 Points (-111)
• Marcus Smart OVER 5.5 Assists (+112)

James Harden hasn’t played great lately, going under 20 points in seven of his last nine games. However, he’s excelled against the C’s in the three meetings this year, averaging 27.3 points per game. Needing to find a rhythm, Harden will use this matchup to his advantage at home.

Brown is not expected to play, so we will target Tatum’s OVER 30.5 points, which he’s eclipsed in eight of 11 games this season when Brown has not played. 

We’re also banking on Marcus Smart benefiting from a potential Brown absence. He’s gone over 5.5 assists in six of seven games this season where Brown has not played, even reaching double digits four times. I’ll play the plus-money OVER 5.5 and sprinkle in 8+ assists at +420.