The Boston Celtics (1-0) take on the Philadelphia 76ers (0-1) at TD Garden in game two of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The game is scheduled to begin at 8:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 3, 2018.
Philadelphia opened as a 3.5-point favorite, while the game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 207 points.
Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics Betting Prediction
Rozier recorded 29 points, eight rebounds and six assists in game one, in which the Celtics, who were 4.5-point underdogs, defeated the 76ers 117-101. The game finished with a total of 218 points, which was 13 points above the projected point total of 205 points. Boston launched 35 three pointers, making 17 of them (48.6 percent). Philadelphia was, on the other hand, just 5-26 (19.2 percent).
Points could be at a premium in this battle between a pair of the league’s top defenses. Boston ranks second in defensive efficiency (102.6) and Philadelphia is third (102.8). It will also be a battle of conflicting paces as the up-and-down 76ers rank fourth in possessions per game, while the more methodical Celtics rank 23rd.
Philadelphia holds records of 56-32 straight up (SU) and 52-36 against the spread (ATS). Vegas has typically been fairly accurate when predicting totals of 76ers games, with 44 overs compared to 43 unders.
Meanwhile, Boston is 60-30 SU and 54-32-4 ATS. Similarly to Philadelphia, just over half of Celtics games have finished over the projected point total.
Al Horford and Terry Rozier have played at a high level over the last five games for Boston. Horford has averaged 17.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. Not to be outdone, Rozier has recorded 15.4 points, 7.2 assists and 1.2 steals a game during that span.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics Odds Pick
Prediction: SU Winner – 76ers, ATS Winner – 76ers, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
Philadelphia is 23-22 ATS on the road with 25 overs and 20 unders.
At home, Boston is 25-17-4 ATS with 27 overs and 19 unders.
When allowing under 100 points, Philadelphia is 23-0 and Boston is 38-6.
The 76ers are 53-20 when they reach the century mark, while the Celtics are 46-14.
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 (18.5).
The 76ers rank second in assists per game (27.0) while the Celtics rank 20th (22.4).
Philadelphia ranks first in rebounds per game (47.5) while Boston ranks 17th in rebounds allowed per game (43.4).
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 (9.5).
The Celtics average 30.3 three pointers per game, which ranks 10th in the league. The 76ers rank 17th in three pointers allowed per game (29.5).
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, Philadelphia is 3-2 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
Boston is 4-1 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 2.2, down from 4.6 for the season.
During their last five games, the Celtics have scored an average of 101.8 points per game (2.2 below their season average) and allowed an average of 97.0 points per game (3.5 below their season average).
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