NBA Basketball: Boston Celtics Vs Philadelphia 76ers Pick and Predictions 02/25/2023
Game: 8:40 PM ET, Saturday, February 25th, 2023
Venue: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
TV: ABC
Season Record
Celtics: 43-17, 1st place Eastern Conference
76ers: 39-19, 3rd place Eastern Conference
Opening NBA odds at USA Sportsbooks
BetMGM: Point Spread: Celtics -1.5, O/U 226.5
PointsBet: Point Spread: Celtics -1.5, O/U 225.5
Fanduel: Point Spread: Celtics -1.5, O/U 226
Starting Five:
Celtics: PG Marcus Smart, SG Jaylen Brown, SF Jayson Tatum, PF Al Horford, C Robert Williams III
76ers: PG James Harden, SG De’Anthony Melton, SF Tobias Harris, PF PJ Tucker, C Joel Embiid
An Eastern Conference all out battle that will contain hustle, hard emotion, hurt feelings, some shoving, some scraping…. And lots of loud “boos” from the notorious Philly fans… The question here is which team will the Philly fans be booing. The Boston Celtics have been atop the “best team” perch from the jump this season… Winning games and holding each other up with some of the best talent and depth found anywhere in the league. The play of Tatum, Brown , and Smart defines the Celtics success… but the support they get from a very solid 10 deep rotation is why they have sooo many wins. The Philadelphia 76ers are a powerhouse with a few question marks… Yes, Embiid is a true MVP candidate and he is a monster down low for which few teams have any answers… However the question marks come front eh next 3 best player… PG James Harden is the league leader in assists and can score big anytime he is “hot”... but does he bring enough defensively?... PG/SG Tyrese Maxey does not start for this team but he is a true defensive stopper that can be inserted either at guard or wing. SF Tobais Harris is a solid scorer, rebounder, and the type of guy who would be the star of a lesser team… But does he have a tendency to disappear for stretches? Oh and how much should they play deep bench superstar Mac McClung? The great betting opportunity here is all about how well these teams have been playing Against Each OTHER this season?... They are both extremely healthy at the moment and we will get a full matchup without excuses.
The Boston Celtics have won 8 of their last 10 games. They went 7-3 ATS during that stretch. They BEAT these same Philadelphia 76ers back on February 8th in Boston 106-99. In the win over the Sixers the Celtics spread the scoring out with 6 Celtics scoring in double figures but no Celtics getting more than 19… Brown and Tatum had 19 points each… C Blake Griffin and PF Grant Williams had 15 each… starting center Robert Williams III did not play in that game… starting PF Al Horford did not play in that game…. Starting Pg Marcus Smart did not play in that game.
The Philadelphia 76ers have won 7 of their last 10 games. They are on a 5 game winning streak. Their last loss was to THESE Boston Celtics 106-99 back on February 8th. The Sixers have few excuses as they were mostly at full strength. CC Joel Embiid had 28 points & 7 assists while PG James Harden had 26 points & 11 assists. What makes this dangerous team NOT a true contender is that they have no second gear… no plan B. SF Tobias Harris had only 4 points in 32 minutes after shooting terribly while he struggled to guard and be guarded by Jayson Tatum. The Sixers are tough and have two great stars… but if they don’t get everything going well they tend to fall apart.
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Boston Celtics Vs Philadelphia 76ers and Predictions Preview and Analysis
The Celtics are 3rd in scoring with 118.3 points per game, 6th in rebounds with 45.2 per game. On defense they rank 6th while holding opponents to 112.2 points per game. They are +6 full points per game. That is a recipe for winning.
The 76ers are 16th in scoring with 114.3 points per game, 28th in rebounds with 40.6 per game. On defense they rank 3rd while holding opponents to 110.4 points per game. They are +3.9 points per game. Not bad… not 6.
Boston Celtics Vs Philadelphia 76ers Prediction
Our prediction for Saturday, February 25th is…. Celtics 119 - Sixers 111
Bet on the Celtics. This is easy guys. The Celtics beat this team while missing 3 starters a couple of weeks ago. They are a terrible matchup for the Sixers because they can spread BOTH scoring and defense around a deep roster. Embiid could very well have a very big game… It won’t be enough without Melton or Harris being able to stop Tatum and Brown.
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NBA Betting Trends
Philly is 3-1 ATS versus Boston in Philly the last 3 seasons.
Philly is 22-10 ATS in home games this season.
Boston is 8-4 ATS in road games where the spread is +3 to -3 this season.
Players To Watch
Celtics: SF Jayson Tatum… After being the All-Star Game MVP… jayson has his sites set on higher trophies. He will be a darkhorse regular season MVP ticket that will only cash if Jokic, Embiid, and Giannis end the season on the injured list. However he has a real shot at winning both a title and a Finals MVP. Let’s watch the roller coaster.
76ers: C Joel Embiid. Embiid has been ballin out. From huge stat lines to blocking Ja Morants dunk attempt… Embiid is doing it all. It is hard to fully imagine how GREAT this Sixers team would have been if that dummy Bryan Colangelo hadn’t messed up “The Process”. There is a reality that “could have been” where Joel Embiid and Jayson Tatum are teammates on this Sixers squad…. And completely unstoppable.
COACH
Celtics: Joe “right place right time” Mazzula
Sixers: Doc “Still Grinding!” Rivers