The Philadelphia 76ers head to Boston to face the Celtics on Friday night at 7:30 PM ET on ESPN. Can the 76ers cover the 6.5-point spread as road underdogs? Check out our 76ers vs. Celtics betting prediction to get today’s winner.
The Philadelphia 76ers are 12-6 straight up in the regular season this year. They are 12-6 ATS this season.
The Boston Celtics are 14-4 straight up in the regular season this year. They are 8-8-2 ATS this season.
76ers vs. Celtics Matchup & Betting Odds
521 Philadelphia 76ers (+6.5) at 522 Boston Celtics (-6.5); o/u 222.5
7:30 p.m. ET, Friday, December 1, 2023
TD Garden, Boston, MA
TV: ESPN
76ers vs. Celtics Public Betting Information
Our NBA Public Betting Information page indicates that 56% of public bettors are currently backing the 76ers when it comes to the spread. This information is subject to change throughout the day, however, so be sure to check the link so you’re receiving the most up-to-date public betting data.
Philadelphia 76ers Daily Fantasy Spin
76ers center Joel Embiid missed his team’s game against the Pelicans on Wednesday night with an illness. He’s officially listed as questionable for Friday’s game in Boston due to said illness. Embiid leads the NBA in scoring with 32.0 points per game and is fifth in the league in rebounding with 11.3 rebounds per game.
Philadelphia power forward Nicolas Batum (finger) and point guard Jaden Springer (illness) are both probable to play on the road at Boston on Friday. Batum is averaging 6.9 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in 25.4 minutes per contest for the Sixers this year.
Boston Celtics Daily Fantasy Spin
Celtics power forward Kristaps Porzingis will miss Friday’s game with a left calf strain, but he could be back in the lineup as soon as Monday night. Porzingis is averaging 18.9 points and 6.7 rebounds per game for the Celtics this season. In his place, Boston will likely start veteran center Al Horford with Luke Kornet sliding into the backup center role.
Celtics guard Jaylen Brown was great in his team’s 124-97 home win over Chicago on Tuesday night. In that game, the Cal alum had 30 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. Brown shot 12 of 23 from the field and posted a team-best plus-minus of +22 in the victory.
76ers vs. Celtics NBA Betting Trends
Boston is 3-1 ATS in their last 4 games against Philadelphia.
Boston is 4-1-1 ATS with the rest advantage this season.
The Celtics are 6-2 ATS as the home team this season.
The Celtics are 4-2-2 ATS in division games this season.
76ers vs. Celtics NBA Prediction:
It’s worth monitoring Philadelphia center Joel Embiid’s injury status all the way up to game time. Embiid sat out his team’s last game at New Orleans on Wednesday, and the Sixers lost that contest 124-114. It warrants mentioning that Philadelphia went 11-5 straight up without Embiid last season, but many of those games were against lesser opponents.
Boston is a juggernaut in the early part of the season. The Celtics are tied for the best straight-up record in the NBA at 14-4 and they have the league’s best average scoring margin at +9.6 points per game. What’s more, Boston has an average scoring margin of +19 points per game at home this season, which is by far the best number in the league. The Celtics have won and covered in 3 out of their last 4 games against the Sixers, and I like them to make it 4 out of 5 on Friday night. I’m laying the points with the Celtics at home.