The Boston Celtics kept their season alive by winning Game 6 against the Philadelphia 76ers, 95-86. By doing so, they forced a Game 7 on Sunday afternoon.
Boston’s defense led the way in Game 6, and Jayson Tatum came up huge down the stretch after starting the game in horrific fashion from a shooting standpoint.
The winner of Game 7 will host the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals beginning on Wednesday. Here are my Celtics vs 76ers best bets for Game 7.
Celtics vs 76ers Game 7 Odds
NBA odds used for these best bets are current as of Saturday, May 13, at noon ET and were found at DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Moneyline: Celtics (-275) • 76ers (+230)
- Spread: Celtics -7 (-110) • 76ers +7 (-110)
- Total Points: Over 201 (-110) • Under 201 (-110)
Celtics vs 76ers Game 7 Prediction
Celtics 99, 76ers 95
Boston adjusted in Game 6 by inserting Robert Williams III into the starting lineup. The result was arguably their best defensive effort of the season. Philadelphia shot only 36.1% from the field and scored 86 points.
I expect the Sixers to make some adjustments, but I think giving Williams more minutes has bolstered Boston’s defense. Game 7 should be a fascinating back-and-forth affair that sees the Celtics come out on top.
Tap into even more of our Eastern Conference Semifinals coverage:
Celtics vs 76ers Game 7 Best Bets
76ers +7 (-110) • DraftKings Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
Though Philadelphia fell short in Game 6, they do not fear facing the Celtics. The 76ers have already won two games in Boston in this series. Home-court advantage does not seem to be a huge factor in who wins or loses these games.
I am picking Boston to win this game outright, but I am not expecting a blowout by any means. Philadelphia has the current NBA MVP and a former league MVP in their starting lineup. This is not a team that will shy away from the moment.
I cannot justify placing a significant moneyline bet on Philadelphia, but I think seven points is enough of a buffer to give me confidence to take the points with the Sixers. I will take Philadelphia plus the points as my NBA bet of the day.
Under 201 Points (-110) • DraftKings Sportsbook
WAGER: 0.5 Unit
I have been playing the Over through much of this series, including in Game 6. However, I believe Boston altering its starting lineup by adding Williams changes the dynamic of how this will play out. As a result, the teams combined for just 181 points last game.
You do not often see a Vegas point total drop 11 points from one game to the next. However, I think it is justified based on what we saw defensively. Philadelphia had 14 steals and missed only one free throw, yet only scored 86 points.
I do not know if Game 7 will be quite the rock fight that Game 6 was, but I find it hard to believe that we will suddenly see a scoring bonanza. I am going a bit light on the total, but I think Under is the play here.
Celtics vs 76ers Game 6
- Prediction: 76ers 113, Celtics 109
- Result: Celtics 95, 76ers 86
Celtics vs 76ers Game 5
- Prediction: Celtics 116, 76ers 110
- Result: 76ers 115, Celtics 103
Celtics vs 76ers Game 4
- Prediction: 76ers 115, Celtics 112
- Result: 76ers 116, Celtics 115
Celtics vs 76ers Game 3
- Prediction: Celtics 112, 76ers 106
- Result: Celtics 114, 76ers 102
Celtics vs 76ers Game 2
- Prediction: Celtics 116, 76ers 110
- Result: Celtics 121, 76ers 87
Celtics vs 76ers Game 1
- Prediction: Celtics 117, 76ers 105
- Result: 76ers 119, Celtics 115
Celtics vs 76ers Series Preview
The top two remaining seeds in the Eastern Conference will square off when the Boston Celtics meet the Philadelphia 76ers in the Conference Semifinals. Game 1 will take place on Monday evening.
The winner of this series will host the Eastern Conference Finals and have a great chance of making the NBA Finals. So who will emerge victorious in this clash of Atlantic Division rivals?
Here are my thoughts on how this series will play out, along with my Celtics vs 76ers series predictions.
Celtics vs 76ers Series Odds
To Win Series: Celtics (-310) • 76ers (+250)
In the first round of the playoffs, Boston held off a feisty Atlanta Hawks squad in six games. Meanwhile, Philadelphia swept the Brooklyn Nets.
The 76ers will have some extra rest, but they also are dealing with likely MVP Joel Embiid’s LCL sprain. He will wear a brace throughout this series.
Boston will have the benefit of home-court advantage. They also have a deeper team than Philadelphia. That depth should be the difference in this series, especially if Embiid is playing at less than 100 percent.
The Celtics are the current betting favorites to win the NBA Finals, so it is not a surprise to see them as a heavy favorite in this series. Boston won the season series 3-1, so recent history is on their side as well.
NBA odds used for this series betting section are current as of Saturday, April 29, at noon ET and were found at FanDuel Sportsbook.
Celtics vs 76ers Series Prediction
Celtics Win 4-2
All four games in the season series were tightly contested — neither team won any of the four games by more than nine points. I expect this series to have plenty of close games as well, but I believe that Boston will get the best of it and win this series, four games to two.
Embiid was a dominant force in the four games against Boston this year, averaging 36.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. He also shot 61.2% from the floor. And yet, Philadelphia still lost three of the four meetings.
With Embiid not at full strength, I do not see a path to the 76ers winning this series. Boston’s greatest strength defensively is that they have multiple wing defenders who can defend the perimeter, and if James Harden and Tyrese Maxey have to do the heavy lifting in this series, I think they are fighting a losing battle.
I fully expect the Celtics to win this series and advance to host the Eastern Conference Finals.
Celtics vs 76ers Series Best Bets
Celtics -1.5 Games (-120) • FanDuel Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
Boston’s depth should be the difference in this series. During the regular season, seven of the nine Celtics who played at least three games against Philadelphia averaged at least 10 points per game.
Jayson Tatum did average fewer points per game versus Philadelphia than any other team he played this year, but Boston still nearly swept the season series regardless.
Embiid will be playing at less than full strength and may not even suit up for Game 1. I expect the Celtics to get the early advantage and go on from there.
I think Philadelphia will be hard-pressed to take this series to the limit, much less win it outright. This bet is already as high as (-145) on other books, so I love that you can still get this at (-120) on FanDuel with my NBA bet of the day.
Celtics: Lead 2-1 After Three Games (+106) • FanDuel Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
Philadelphia will have a tough road to win this series, but it is not as if they are completely overmatched. The 76ers were competitive in all four games against Boston this season and split four matchups with the Celtics last year.
The Celtics will be favored in the first two games, and I fully expect them to win at least one of them. That means we will likely have two paths to hitting this bet.
If Boston is up 2-0, we would need Philadelphia to win Game 3. If the series is tied 1-1, we would need Boston to win Game 3. That is a good place to be a bettor.
First of all, Vegas will probably make the line for Game 3 small. Boston is the better team, but Philadelphia will be playing at home. I would not be surprised if this game was a pick ‘em or close to it.
Placing this bet now also leaves the possibility to double down or hedge before Game 3, depending on how the first two games play out.
Either way, I think this is a +EV play overall, with some added value before Game 3 gets played.
