The Boston Celtics (3-1) will try to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals when they go head-to-head with the Philadelphia 76ers (1-3) at TD Garden in game five of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The game gets underway at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 9, 2018.
Philadelphia opened as a 1.5-point favorite, while the game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 204.5 points.
Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics Free Prediction
Simmons had 19 points, 13 rebounds and five assists in game four, in which the 76ers defeated the Celtics 103-92, covering as 7-point favorites. The game finished with a total of 195 points, which was 11.5 points below the projected point total of 206.5 points. Philadelphia out-rebounded Boston. The 76ers had 16 offensive rebounds and 53 total rebounds, while the Celtics had six and 43, respectively.
Points could be at a premium as two of the NBA’s best defenses battle. Boston currently ranks second in defensive efficiency (102.6) and Philadelphia is third (102.8). It will also be a battle of opposite styles as the up-tempo 76ers rank fourth in possessions per game, while the more methodical Celtics rank 23rd.
Philadelphia heads into the contest with records of 57-34 straight up (SU) and 53-38 against the spread (ATS). Vegas has typically been fairly accurate when predicting totals of 76ers games, with 45 overs compared to 45 unders.
Meanwhile, Boston owns records of 62-31 SU and 56-33-4 ATS. Just over half of Celtics games have finished over the projected point total.
A number of players have played well over the last five games for Boston. Terry Rozier has led the way, averaging 21.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game. Al Horford (17.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists) and Jayson Tatum (23.0 points and 3.2 assists) have also been impressive.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics Free Pick
Free NBA Pick: SU Winner – 76ers, ATS Winner – 76ers, O/U – Over
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Notes
Betting Notes:
Philadelphia is 23-23 ATS on the road with 26 overs and 20 unders.
At home, Boston is 26-17-4 ATS with 28 overs and 19 unders.
In games where they allow less than 100 points, Philadelphia is 24-0 and Boston is 39-6.
In games where they reach 100 points, the 76ers are 54-21 and the Celtics are 48-14.
Philadelphia ranks eighth in points in the paint per game (47.1) while Boston ranks 29th (40.0).
The Celtics rank sixth in steals allowed per game (7.2) while the 76ers rank 26th (8.4).
Philadelphia ranks first in rebounds per game (47.6) while Boston ranks 19th in rebounds allowed per game (43.7).
The 76ers rank second in assists per game (27.0) while the Celtics rank 20th (22.3).
Boston ranks 11th in points off turnovers allowed per game (15.4) while Philadelphia ranks 26th (18.2).
The 76ers rank fourth in second chance points per game (13.9) while the Celtics rank 16th (12.3).
Philadelphia ranks 16th in fast break points per game (11.3) while Boston ranks 27th (9.5).
The Celtics rank ninth in three pointers attempted per game (30.5) while the 76ers rank 17th in three pointers allowed per game (29.7).
Boston ranks 18th in blocks per game (4.6) while Philadelphia ranks 24th in blocks allowed per game (5.2).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Philadelphia is 2-3 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 have scored an equal number of points as their opponents. For the season, Philadelphia has defeated opponents by an average of 4.5 points.
During their last five games, the Celtics have scored an average of 106.0 points per game (2.1 above their season average) and allowed an average of 100.2 points per game (0.4 below their season average).
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