How Joel Embiid Injury Update Impacted Celtics-76ers Game 2 Lines
Philadelphia was a 10-point road underdog before the Embiid report
Philadelphia 76ers big man and recently named NBA MVP Joel Embiid reportedly is on track to play against the Boston Celtics in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at TD Garden on Wednesday night.
And the Celtics likely weren’t the only ones alerted to the initial report from The Athletic’s Shams Charania. Oddsmakers also shifted gears quickly.
The 76ers went from being a 10-point underdog on DraftKings Sportsbook before the report to an 8.5-point road underdog afterward. Boston went from being a -450 moneyline favorite to -365, as pointed out by Bookies.com’s Bill Speros. FanDuel Sportsbook listed the Celtics as a 7.5-point favorite and -340 on the moneyline, and it’s notable Boston still is considerably favored despite the fact Philadelphia won without Embiid in Game 1.
The Celtics failed to win Game 1 outright despite being a double-digit favorite. It marked the ninth loss of their season when they entered as a double-digit favorite, which is the most by any team in a single season since 1990-91, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
It’ll be interesting to see how the news impacts the betting public, which already was high on the Sixers before the Embiid-related report. BetMGM revealed Wednesday morning that 81% of the moneyline bets and 50% of the moneyline handle were on Philadelphia to win Game 2. The Sixers also represented 72% of the spread bets on BetMGM.
Tipoff from TD Garden is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.
