The Philadelphia 76ers (0-2) challenge the Boston Celtics (2-0) at Wells Fargo Center in game three of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The game begins at 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 5, 2018.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 206 points with Philadelphia opening as a 9-point favorite.
Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers Betting Prediction
Rozier put up 20 points, nine assists and seven rebounds in game two, in which the Celtics defeated the 76ers 108-103, covering as 3.5-point underdogs. The game finished with a total of 211 points, which was 5.5 points above the projected point total of 205.5 points. The Celtics knocked down 19 of their 24 free throws (79.2 percent) and had a better turnover percentage (8.9 vs. 10.1).
Baskets could be hard to come by in this battle between two of the league’s top defenses. Philadelphia ranks third in defensive efficiency (102.9) and Boston is second (102.7).
Boston heads into the game with records of 61-30 straight up (SU) and 55-32-4 against the spread (ATS). Of the Celtics’ 91 games, 49 have finished over the projected point total.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia owns records of 56-33 SU and 52-37 ATS. Much like Boston, just over half of 76ers games have finished over the total.
Al Horford and Terry Rozier have been playing well over the last five games for Boston. Horford has averaged 19.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.4 blocks per game. Not to be outdone, Rozier has put up 19.4 points, 6.6 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals a game during that span.
Boston Celtics at Philadelphia 76ers Odds Pick
Free NBA Tip: SU Winner – 76ers, ATS Winner – Celtics, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Boston is 29-15 ATS with 22 unders, 21 overs and 1 push.
Philadelphia is 29-14 ATS at home with 23 unders, 19 overs and 1 push.
In games where they hold opponents under 100 points, Boston is 38-6 and Philadelphia is 23-0.
The Celtics are 47-14 when they reach 100 points, while the 76ers are 53-21.
Philadelphia ranks eighth in points in the paint per game (47.0) while Boston ranks 29th (40.1).
The Celtics rank seventh in steals allowed per game (7.2) while the 76ers rank 26th (8.4).
Philadelphia ranks second in assists per game (27.0) while Boston ranks 20th (22.5).
The Celtics rank 11th in points off turnovers allowed per game (15.4) while the 76ers rank 27th (18.4).
Philadelphia ranks first in rebounds per game (47.6) while Boston ranks 17th in rebounds allowed per game (43.5).
The 76ers rank fourth in second chance points per game (13.9) while the Celtics rank 16th (12.4).
Philadelphia ranks 16th in fast break points per game (11.4) while Boston ranks 27th (9.6).
The Celtics rank ninth in three pointers attempted per game (30.4) while the 76ers rank 17th in three pointers allowed per game (29.6).
Boston ranks 19th in blocks per game (4.5) while Philadelphia ranks 22nd in blocks allowed per game (5.1).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Boston is 4-1 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders.
Philadelphia is 3-2 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders over their last five games.
The Celtics’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 6.2, up from 3.5 for the season.
During their last five games, the 76ers have scored an average of 108.4 points per game (1.5 below their season average) and allowed an average of 105.2 points per game (0.2 below their season average).
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