Celtics vs 76ers Betting Preview: Philly Seeks to Grab 2-1 Lead with Embiid Back

The second-seeded Boston Celtics routed the sixth-seeded Philadelphia 76ers 121-87 on Wednesday to even the Eastern Conference semifinal at one game apiece. The teams’ series now moves to the Wells Fargo Center. Read on for our Celtics vs 76ers betting preview ahead of Friday’s pivotal Game 3 (7:30 p.m., ESPN).

Embiid Returns

Two weeks after spraining his right knee during a first-round win over Brooklyn, Joel Embiid returned to the lineup for Philadelphia. Embiid scored 15 points on 4-of-9 shooting to go with five blocks and three rebounds. He also committed three turnovers.

Altogether, he was on the floor for just 27 minutes, much less than anticipated as Boston handedly covered the 9.5-point spread. In doing so, the Celtics matched the third-largest margin of victory (34 points) in playoff franchise history.

For Philadelphia, Embiid’s presence is invaluable. The 7-foot center from Cameroon was awarded his first NBA Most Valuable Player Award Wednesday after averaging a league-best 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 blocks.

The 76ers — who were 10.3 points better with Embiid on the floor this NBA season — went 54-28 to finish third in the East. They then swept the Nets in the opening round.

With the series set to shift to Philadelphia, Embiid should see a much bigger workload in Game 3. That’s, of course, assuming it’s not another blowout. In four regular-season games against Boston, Embiid averaged 36.8 points and 11.8 rebounds.

Will the Real Harden Stand Up?

Boston did a far better job containing James Harden in Game 2, holding him to 12 points and 10 rebounds over 32 minutes. Harden was just 2-of-14 from the floor and missed all six of his 3-point attempts.

That came on the heels of a spectacular Game 1, in which the 10-time All-Star matched his playoff career high with 45 points in a 119-115 Philadelphia victory.

Year in, year out, Harden’s been among the NBA scoring leaders. That said, he’s seen his efficiency slip this postseason. Through six games, the 33-year-old Harden is shooting 37.8% — 6.3% below his season mark — and has topped 25 points just once. He’s helped in other ways, of course, but in order to beat Boston, Philadelphia will need to lessen the scoring strain on Embiid.

Tatum Primed to Bounce Back

Jayson Tatum took a back seat in Game 1, scoring a season-low seven points — 23.1 below his average — on 1-of-7 shooting. He committed four fouls and played just 19 minutes. It obviously didn’t matter though, as Boston jumped to an eight-point lead at halftime before outscoring the 76ers 35-16 in the third quarter.

Teammate Jaylen Brown carried the scoring load instead, with 25 points on three 3-pointers. Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon contributed 23 points off the bench, and Marcus Smart and Derrick White scored 15 apiece.

Given his track record, Tatum seems like a good bet to bounce back from his unusually quiet performance. He scored 39 points in Game 1 and averaged 21 in four regular-season meetings with Philadelphia. Granted, the 76ers did a much better job defending Tatum after allowing him to score 35 on opening night. Celtics vs 76ers is sure to be a thrilling matchup, and Tatum will undoubtedly be looking to make a statement.

Through eight playoff games, Tatum is averaging 26.1 points on 45.6% shooting, including 36.8% from beyond the arc.

Handicapping Game 3

Game 3 is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated NBA games on the schedule. Boston is a slight 1.5-point favorite, with moneyline odds of -120. Philadelphia, meanwhile, is priced at +100. The over/under is 214, four points lower than the projected point total for Game 2 in our Celtics vs 76ers betting preview.

This is easily the smallest spread of the playoffs for the Celtics, who beat Atlanta in six games in the first round and remain the NBA’s overall betting favorite.

The Boston Celtics are now -130 to win the East — Philadelphia is next in line at +290 — and +170 to win the Finals. Denver, the top seed in the West, currently holds the second-best title odds at +400, followed by Los Angeles at +500. The 76ers are priced at +650.

Over his career, Embiid is just 1-9 against Boston in the playoffs. The lone win came during the 2017-18 conference semifinals.

That may seem ominous, however, the 76ers are in prime position to rebound at home. They were 29-12 at the Wells Fargo Center during the regular season and are 2-0 in the playoffs.

While Embiid still may not be 100%, he should benefit from another day of recuperation.

For a Celtics vs 76ers betting preview, NBA news, analysis and more, visit pointspreads.com

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