The Philadelphia 76ers (19-19) go head-to-head with the Boston Celtics (33-10) at O2 Arena. The game starts at 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 11, 2018, and will air on NBATV.
Boston opened as a 2-point favorite, while the Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 207 points.
Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers Free Prediction
In the Celtics’ last matchup, they topped the Brooklyn Nets, 87-85. Boston’s turnover percentage was their largest advantage over Brooklyn. The Celtics had a rate of 3.7 (better than their season average of 12.5), while the Nets posted a mark of 13.7. Boston rallied around Kyrie Irving, who was the top scorer from either team with 21 points on 8-for-22 shooting.
The 76ers won big over the Detroit Pistons in their last contest, 114-78. The 76ers had a great offensive rebounding percentage of 31.7 (above their season average of 25.9) and held the Pistons to an effective field goal percentage of 0.424 (below their season average of 0.511). With 19 points and nine assists, Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons had a good performance.
It will be a battle of opposite tempos as the fast-breaking 76ers will look to push the more half-court-oriented Celtics. The 76ers currently rank second in possessions per game while the Celtics are 24th.
Boston holds records of 33-10 straight up (SU) and 26-15-2 against the spread (ATS). Vegas has typically been fairly accurate when predicting totals of Celtics games, with 23 unders compared to 20 overs.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia is 19-19 SU and 21-17 ATS. Unlike Boston, 76ers games have finished over the projected point total 52.6 percent of the time.
Dario Saric has averaged 19.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists over the last five games for Philadelphia.
The Celtics have emerged victorious in both contests against the 76ers this year, including an 11-point victory in their last matchup. Boston covered as an 8-point favorite and the game finished with a total of 205 points, which was 7 points below the projected point total of 212 points. The Celtics made 16 of their 20 free throws (80.0 percent) and had a better effective field goal percentage (0.582 vs. 0.512). In the victory, Irving led all scorers with 36 points.
Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers Free Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – 76ers, ATS Winner – 76ers, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
Boston is 24-1 when they allow under 100 points, while Philadelphia is 6-0.
In games where they reach 100 points, the 76ers are 18-12 and the Celtics are 23-4.
Boston ranks third in steals allowed per game (6.8) while Philadelphia ranks last (9.2).
The Celtics rank fifth in points off turnovers allowed per game (14.7) while the 76ers rank 28th (19.1).
Philadelphia ranks first in rebounds per game (47.8) while Boston ranks 24th in rebounds allowed per game (44.0).
The Celtics rank fifth in blocks allowed per game (4.1) while the 76ers rank 27th (5.7).
Philadelphia ranks eighth in points in the paint per game (46.8) while Boston ranks 28th (39.6).
The 76ers rank fifth in second chance points per game (14.1) while the Celtics rank 21st (11.3).
Philadelphia ranks third in assists per game (26.2) while Boston ranks 19th (22.0).
The Celtics average 31.0 three pointers per game, which ranks seventh in the league. The 76ers rank 20th in three pointers allowed per game (29.2).
Boston ranks third in fast break points allowed per game (9.1) while Philadelphia ranks ninth (10.2).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Boston is 3-2 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
Philadelphia is 4-1 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 5.4, up from 5.1 for the season.
During their last five games, the 76ers have scored an average of 113.2 points per game (4.6 above their season average) and allowed an average of 102.0 points per game (5.9 below their season average).
