Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics Odds, Picks & Predictions - Game 7
A pair of Atlantic Divsion teams continue their NBA first round Eastern Conference playoff series in Beantown as the seventh-seeded Philadelphia 76ers take on the second-seeded Boston Celtics in a winner take all Game 7 Saturday and we break down the 76ers vs. Celtics matchup here. In Game 1 of the series Sunday, Boston cruised to a 123-91 victory at home to draw first blood in the set. The Celtics easily covered the line as a 13.5-point favorite.
Philadelphia took Game 2 111-97 on the road to square the series. They won outright as a 13.5-point underdog in that contest. Boston regrouped with a 108-100 road win in Game 3. The 76ers covered the line as an 8.5-point underdog. In Game 4, Boston cruised to a 128-96 road win Sunday and covered the line as a 5.5-point favorite. Facing elimination, the 76ers earned a 113-97 road win in Game 5, winning outright as a 10.5-point underdog. Philadelphia struck again in Game 6 at home, winning 106-93 Thursday night. They won outright as a 6.5-point underdog.
In the all-time playoff series between the teams, Boston has won 15 of the 22 previous series. The Celtics own a 70-53 advantage in head-to-head playoff victories. Let’s break down this 76ers vs. Celtics matchup.
76ers Look to Complete the Comeback
Philadelphia, after going down 3-1 in the series, has fired back with a pair of double-digit victories. As a result, the best-of-seven series has been trimmed to a best of one. In Game 6, Philadelphia trailed by three after the opening quarter and by five early in the second before regrouping. The 76ers led by nine at halftime. They then outscored the Celtics 24-14 in the third quarter and the rout was on. Tyrese Maxey led five Philadelphia players in double figures with 30 points in the win.
In the playoffs, the 76ers are tied for 10th in the league in scoring offense with 102.8 points per game. The 76ers are 10th in rebounding as they collect 40.7 rebounds per contest. They are 13th in assists by dishing out an average of 21.2 dimes a night. Philadelphia is 10th in the league in scoring defense as they allow an average of 107.7 points a contest. Tyrese Maxey is a solid option for the 76ers as he puts up 26.3 points and 6.5 assists per game this postseason. Joel Embiid (26 points, eight rebounds, 7.3 assists) and Paul George (18.2 points) are good secondary scoring options.
Philadelphia is 9th in the league in field goal percentage as they shoot 44.2% from the floor as a team. The 76ers are 8th in threes per game as they drain 11.7 triples a contest. They are 8th in three-point shooting by connecting on 34.7% of their attempts from beyond the arc. Philadelphia stands 3rd in the league in free throw shooting as they convert 80.2% of their attempts at the stripe.
Key Injury Report for 76ers:
- No Key Injuries
Celtics Try to Avoid Collapse
Boston sputtered in Game 5 at home and tried again to put the 76ers on the ice. The Celtics couldn’t get their offense in gear most of the night and are staring Game 7 in the face as a result. In Game 6, Boston used a 9-0 run spanning the first and second quarters to turn a four-point deficit into a five-point advantage. The wheels fell off from that point as the Celtics trailed by nine at the half. They never got closer than that the rest of the way. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 18 points despite shooting seven of 17 from the floor in the loss.
In the postseason, the Celtics are 7th in the league in scoring offense with an average of 107.7 points per game. Boston is 1st in the league in rebounding with 47.3 boards per contest. They stand tied for 5th in assists by handing out 24.5 assists per game. The Celtics are tied for 6th in the league in scoring defense as they allow 102.8 points per contest. Jaylen Brown leads the team with an average of 24.5 points plus six rebounds and 3.4 assists per contest. Jayson Tatum contributes 23.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 6.8 assists a night.
Boston is 10th in the league in field goal percentage as they shoot 44.1% from the floor this season. The Celtics are 1st in the league in threes per game as they hit 16 triples per contest. They are 7th in three-point field goal percentage by shooting 35% from beyond the arc. Boston is tied for 12th in the league in free throw shooting as they convert 72.6% of their attempts at the line this season.
Key Injury Report for Celtics:
- No Key Injuries
New DraftKings Customers: Bet $5+ Get $100 in Bonus Bets Instantly! 76ers vs. Celtics Prediction
This series goes the distance and home court advantage, such that it is, isn’t a factor here. The return of Embiid has been beneficial for the 76ers but this game is going to hinge on Boston’s three-point shooting. In the series, Boston has hit 20 threes a game on 41.7% shooting from beyond the arc in their three wins. Meanwhile, those numbers drop to 12 triples on 27.7% shooting in their three losses. Clearly, Philadelphia found something that worked in Games 5 and 6 to stifle the perimeter shooting of the Celtics. In the end, Boston is still the better team and they claw out a win, though the 76ers cover for the fifth time in the series.
Our Prediction: 76ers +7.5 (FanDuel, -106)
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