76ers vs Celtics Prediction: We’re Sick Waiting For a Sick Joel Embiid
Philadelphia’s Superstar Center Remains “Questionable”
Celtics Favored by Six While Embiid Remains Uncertain
The oddsmakers could not wait forever to release the betting odds for the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics game. They dropped it with Boston as the six-point favorite at home. 76ers superstar Joel Embiid’s status remains up in the air. The reigning MVP is out with an illness and there is still no official word on whether he will play. As such, the consensus 76ers vs Celtics prediction is a win for the latter.
76ers vs Celtics 
Date & time (TV):
Location: TD Garden, Boston
Streaming: ESPN
Potentially Embiid-less 76ers are Awful?
Joel Embiid missed the 76ers’ last game, which resulted in a 10-point loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. Philadelphia never led at any point in the game despite Tyrese Maxey’s game-high 33 points. And a week ago, Philadelphia also lost by double figures to Minnesota. The team is 0-2 without its MVP.
“We cannot use (Embiid’s absence) as an excuse, and we won’t use it as an excuse,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said after the loss to New Orleans. “What put us in a big hole is we didn’t go out and execute our defensive schemes the way we wanted to from the start of the game.”
Philadelphia went 11-5 last season without Embiid. But that NBA team was different with Doc Rivers as the head coach and James Harden, a former MVP. Now, Embiid is the lone star on the team though Maxey has blossomed into being worthy of an All-Star selection.
Maxey is averaging 27 points and 6.7 assists. He, Embiid, and the 76ers have benefited offensively from Nurse’s new schemes. The 76ers have the NBA’s second-best offensive rating (121.2) and are putting up nearly 117 points per road game.
That’s why 12 of the team’s 18 games have gone over the total. And without Embiid, the Sixers’ pace could increase while their defense decreases. That’s why the public has bet the NBA scores and odds to go from 224 points to 225, where it stands now.
But as far as proving the 76ers vs Celtics predictions wrong, Philadelphia is 2-2 in its last four visits to Boston but just 5-13 if we look at the last 18 games, including the NBA playoffs. Without Embiid, it may be a taller task to win and/or cover here.
Celtics Make the TD Garden a Real Bank For Bettors
The Celtics are atop the NBA standings 2023-24 as most expected. From a betting perspective, the team is only 8-8-2 against the spread (ATS). But as a home team, Boston is a lucrative bet. The Celtics are 8-0 on the moneyline and 6-2 ATS.
If we consider the teams it has beaten from Miami to Milwaukee, the Celtics are the real deal. The additions of Kristaps Porzingis (currently injured) at forward/center and Jrue Holiday at guard have paid dividends. Derrick White has also elevated his game as he slot into Marcus Smart’s old starting position.
Boston leads the NBA in offensive rating (125.4) and net rating (+19.7) when playing at home. On top of that, Boston is also ranked in the top 10 in effective field goal percentage (1st), rebounding percentage (2nd), and turnover percentage (7th).
In short, Boston is crushing it at home. And even without Porzingis, Boston is 2-0 at home and 3-0 overall. NBA players like Sam Hauser and Al Horford have stepped up in his absence.
Going against an undermanned Sixers team, Boston should cover the six points and extend its home winning streak to nine NBA games. There is not much overthinking needed with these 76ers vs Celtics predictions. With or without Embiid, Boston could score plenty of points and contribute nearly 60% to the total going over.
And even if Embiid plays, Boston may be the best team to back on the NBA games today.
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