The Boston Celtics clash against the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden in the first game of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The game starts at 8 p.m. ET on Monday, April 30, 2018.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 208.5 points with Philadelphia opening as a 2.5-point favorite
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Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics ATS Prediction
The 76ers come in on a high note after beating the Miami Heat in their last outing, 104-91. The 76ers knocked down 29 of their 36 free throws (80.6 percent) and had a better offensive rebounding percentage (23.1 vs. 18.5). Philadelphia was lifted by Joel Embiid, who had 19 points and 12 rebounds.
In the Celtics’ last matchup, they were victorious over the Milwaukee Bucks, 112-96. The Celtics, who came into the game averaging an offensive rebounding percentage of 21.7, had a superb mark of 28.2, while the Bucks had a turnover percentage of 15.5 (above their season average of 12.3). With 26 points, nine assists and six rebounds, Boston’s Terry Rozier played well.
Baskets could be hard to come by as two of the league’s top defenses battle. Boston ranks third in defensive efficiency (102.6) and Philadelphia is second (102.6). This contest should be a battle of opposite styles. The up-and-down 76ers rank fourth in possessions per game, while the slower-paced Celtics rank 23rd.
Philadelphia heads into the contest with records of 56-31 straight up (SU) and 52-35 against the spread (ATS). Games featuring the 76ers have a slight tendency to finish over the total (49.4 percent).
Meanwhile, Boston is 59-30 SU and 53-32-4 ATS. A little over half of Celtics games have finished over the O/U total.
Ben Simmons and Marco Belinelli have played well over the last five games for Philadelphia. Simmons has averaged 16.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, 9.2 assists and 2.0 steals per game. Not to be outdone, Belinelli has recorded 17.0 points and 1.6 steals a game during that span.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics Pick
Pick: SU Winner – 76ers, ATS Winner – 76ers, O/U – Over
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Notes
Betting Notes:
Philadelphia is 23-21 ATS on the road with 24 overs and 20 unders.
Boston is 24-17-4 ATS at home with 26 overs and 19 unders.
In games where they hold opponents below 100 points, Philadelphia is 23-0 and Boston is 38-6.
In games where they score above 100 points, the 76ers are 53-19 and the Celtics are 45-14.
Philadelphia ranks eighth in points in the paint per game (47.1) while Boston ranks 29th (40.1).
The Celtics rank sixth in steals allowed per game (7.2) while the 76ers rank 26th (8.5).
Boston ranks 10th in points off turnovers allowed per game (15.4) while Philadelphia ranks 28th (18.4).
The 76ers rank second in assists per game (27.1) while the Celtics rank 20th (22.4).
Philadelphia averages 47.6 rebounds per game, which ranks first in the league. Boston ranks 17th in rebounds allowed per game (43.4).
The 76ers rank fifth in second chance points per game (13.9) while the Celtics rank 16th (12.3).
Philadelphia ranks 16th in fast break points per game (11.4) while Boston ranks 27th (9.4).
The Celtics rank 10th in three pointers attempted per game (30.3) while the 76ers rank 17th in three pointers allowed per game (29.5).
Boston ranks 19th in blocks per game (4.5) while Philadelphia ranks 23rd in blocks allowed per game (5.2).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Philadelphia is 4-1 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
Boston is 3-2 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders over their last five games.
The 76ers’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 10.8, up from 4.9 for the season.
During their last five games, the Celtics have scored an average of 96.8 points per game (7.1 below their season average) and allowed an average of 100.0 points per game (0.5 below their season average).
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