Can Boston Even The Season Series With The 76ers?

The two best teams in the NBA East standings will be featured on ESPN for a regular season mid-week matchup.

The 76ers will play in their second consecutive game after Tuesday’s In-Season Tournament matchup against the Pacers, where Philadelphia lost 132-126 at home.

Meanwhile, the Celtics are recently coming off a win against the Knicks. They’re sitting at 8-2 and will have one more day to prepare than the 76ers.

Many analysts and fans hope the Celtics and 76ers have a seven-game series in the Eastern Conference Finals. But for now, we’ll get the second game of the introduction to that potential series on ESPN.

The 76ers are currently +4 against the Celtics at home. Meanwhile, the total is at 223.5 for this matchup. Philadelphia beat the Celtics 106-103 earlier this season at home. Now they’ll have another home game against the Celtics a week later.

Look at the 76ers vs Celtics line for the most exciting game on Wednesday’s NBA slate.

76ers vs Celtics Line Trends

While the Celtics are 8-2 on the season, Boston has only covered five of ten games. They’ve gone 5-3-2 against the spread this season.

However, Boston is on a three-game cover streak against the spread wins versus the Nets, Raptors, and Knicks. The Celtics were 8.5-point favorites or better in all three games and covered. But despite being heavy favorites, the Under also hit in all three games.

The Celtics have now hit the Over. and Under in five games each this year.

On the other hand, the 76ers gone 8-2 against the spread after not covering against the Pacers last night. Philadelphia has also hit the Over in six of ten games this season.

The Philadelphia-Boston rivalry has been entertaining over the years. The 76ers won the first NBA matchup this year, but the Celtics and 76ers have gone 5-5 each in their last ten games against one another.

Both NBA teams are also undefeated at home. With the 76ers at home, Philadelphia could have the edge.

Jrue Holiday’s Milestone

Boston’s point guard, Jrue Holiday, reached a career milestone in Boston’s most recent game against the Knicks. In a 114-98 win, Holiday drained a three-point to finish the third quarter. That put him at 15,000 points for his career.

After the game concluded, the media asked Holiday about his milestone. He acknowledged that he didn’t understand why the fans were cheering so emphatically when he made that shot.

While Holiday’s name won’t be at the tip-top of NBA scorers, reaching 15,000 points is still an incredible feat. He’s currently 158th in the history of the NBA and will likely get into the top 150 later this year.

No James Harden, No Problem

The Philadelphia 76ers did everything they could to make James Harden happy in Philadelphia. But no matter what they tried, Harden seemingly didn’t appreciate their gesture.

Eventually, the 76ers moved on and traded Harden to the Los Angeles Clippers. With no more drama and headaches, the 76ers can’t stop winning.

Philadelphia sent Harden and P.J. Tucker to Los Angeles in exchange for Robert Covington, Nicolas Batum, Marcus Morris, and K.J. Martin, along with several picks.

Without Harden on the floor, Tyrese Maxey has flourished on the offensive end. He’s even had a 50-point game this season that included seven rebounds and five assists.

Meanwhile, the Clippers have struggled to win games since Harden’s arrival.

Philadelphia already won that trade.

The Defenses Have Leveled Up

This article was written before the 76ers played the Pacers. Therefore, the stats acknowledged in this article don’t include the game against the Pacers for Philadelphia.

With that out of the way, the 76ers have scored 121.2 points per 100 possessions, with a 55.4% effective field goal percentage. Philadelphia is above average in every offensive category and the top team at getting to the foul line.

However, the Celtics are the best team defensively at keeping opponents away from the foul line, with a free throw rate of 14.4. Meanwhile, Boston’s defense has also helped hold teams to 104.7 points per 100 possessions and an effective field goal percentage below 50%. The Celtics won’t earn turnovers, but they’ll defend well other than that.

On the other hand, the 76ers haven’t been nearly as good defensively. Philadelphia has held teams to 110.9 points per 100 possessions and an effective field goal percentage of 52.8%. Boston’s offense limits turnovers and typically gets good looks, shooting an effective field goal percentage of 57.4%. Don’t expect the Celtics to dominate the glass, but they are more likely to get to the foul line.

With the 76ers coming off a game against the Pacers on their NBA schedule, Boston should be fresher. Boston’s defense should be the difference in this game.

After looking at the 76ers vs Celtics line, our NBA predictions include a Celtics victory on the road. Take Boston at -4.

For NBA betting news, NBA spreads, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.

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