Pick against the spread, best player prop for Celtics vs. Sixers

The Philadelphia 76ers will be looking to bounce back after their two-point loss to the Memphis Grizzles last weekend, when they take on the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.

Philadelphia has lost three out of their last five games, with their only two wins coming against the Miami Heat. In last Saturday’s game against Memphis, the Sixers were without MVP candidate Joel Embiid due to right knee pain. Therefore, Philadelphia needed good performances from Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris.

Harris led the starters with 21 points (7-17 FG), while Simmons posted 11 points, 16 rebounds, and nine assists. However, the star for the Sixers was Shake Milton, who poured in 28 points off of the bench. The Sixers had 22 turnovers in the game, compared to the Grizzlies, who only had 11, which played a role in their performance.

As for the Celtics, they are coming off of a 105-75 loss to the New York Knicks on Sunday afternoon. Kemba Walker made his regular-season debut for Boston, but did not play well, which was expected. Walker only scored nine points on 3-of-13 shooting from the field and 1-of-8 shooting from three-point range. Meanwhile, Jaylen Brown was one of only two Celtics players, who reached double figures, scoring 25 points. For Wednesday night’s contest, the Celtics will still be without Jayson Tatum, who is out because of health and safety protocols.

What can we expect from these two squads on Wednesday night? And who should you pick against the spread? To answer those questions and more, here is our pick against the spread and a player prop you need to watch out for. Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 7:00 p.m. ET ESPN

Pick ATS: Sixers -5

The line for Wednesday night’s contest is set at five points, with the Sixers being favored at home. As previously mentioned, Philadelphia has lost three out of their last five games but those three losses came without Embiid. The All-Star centere will play against the C’s, which will give the Sixers an added boost both on offense and defense. This season, the Sixers have a record of 5-3 against the spread at the Wells Fargo Center.

The Celtics have played pretty well, despite missing a few players due to COVID-19 protocols. Boston has a 4-1 record ATS in their last five games. Their only loss happened against the Knicks, where the Celtics were seven-point favorites. If I had to make a pick, I’d lean towards the Sixers because they have more offensive firepower than Boston.

Player Prop: Ben Simmons O13.5 points (-120)

Unlike the last time we saw the Sixers play against the Grizzlies, Wednesday’s game against the Celtics does not have a lot of likable player props. But if you are looking for a low-risk bet, then Ben Simmons’ points prop might be an option. As of right now, the prop is set at over 13.5 points. This season, Simmons is averaging 12.3 points per game. He has only went over the 13.5 point mark five times. The Sixers need Simmons to be aggressive against a Boston team that is without Tatum.

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