How Celtics Stack Up Vs. 76ers In Eastern Conference Semifinals
Boston could be in for a long battle
The Celtics took care of business Thursday night and can look ahead to the Eastern Conference semifinals Monday.
Boston got the job done in crunch time and beat the Atlanta Hawks in Game 6 at State Farm Arena to win the best-of-seven series, 4-2. The C’s move on to play the Philadelphia 76ers for the 22nd time in the franchises’ postseason histories, which is the most between two teams in NBA history, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps.
The C’s opened as a -310 favorite to win the series on FanDuel Sportsbook, and Philadelphia has +250 odds to beat the Celtics, which it has not done in the postseason since the 1981-82 season.
The Celtics get home-court advantage with Game 1 at TD Garden, but oddsmakers at FanDuel have a slight lean toward a long series. Here are the prices for series total games in order from favorite to longest odds.
Seven games: +200
Five games: +210
Six games: +220
Four games: +550
The 76ers swept the Brooklyn Nets in the first round, but it would be a surprise if either team advanced through a sweep, which is reflected in the odds. A key thing to look out for is Joel Embiid’s health. The star center suffered a knee injury and did not play in Philadelphia’s series-clinching game on April 22.
Atlanta extending its first-round series against Boston gave Embiid time to rest, but if he is hindered by his injury, that could decide how long the series goes. But the Celtics struggled in the first round, so the 76ers still could hang with Boston.
