The NBA has a jam-packed Sunday slate of action, and in one of the best matchups of the night, the Boston Celtics host the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden, with tip-off at 8:00 p.m. ET on NBC/Peacock. The two Eastern Conference rivals are both in the playoff chase, and each roster has some very intriguing stories to follow. Let’s break down the matchup and find some 76ers at Celtics player prop bets that make sense this Sunday night.
In the overall matchup, the Celtics are 9.5-point home favorites with the total set at 219.5 on DraftKings Sportsbook. The two teams have played three times this season with all three games decided by two points or fewer. The Sixers won the first meeting of the season, the Celtics answered, and the 76ers won their most recent matchup on Nov. 11.
The Celtics are 39-20, sitting second in the Eastern Conference, while the 76ers are 33-26, which is good enough for the No. 6 seed coming into Sunday’s action. The Celtics are 10-2 in their last 12 games after winning on Friday over the Nets, while the Sixers have won three straight after beating the Heat on Thursday in their most recent game.
On the injury report, the 76ers will be without Joel Embiid, who is dealing with an oblique injury, and Paul George, who is suspended. Kelly Oubre Jr. is recovering from a knee injury, but will be available. On the other side, the Celtics listed Baylor Scheierman as questionable due to a fractured left thumb.
76ers at Celtics Best Prop Bets
Nikola Vucevic 8+ Rebounds (+117)
The Celtics added Vucevic at the trade deadline, but the center hasn’t had a smooth landing with his new team. He looked great in his debut against his former team, the Bulls, posting 19 points and 11 rebounds in 26 minutes on Feb. 11. On the road, though, he had under 10 points in four straight road games. He bounced back with a big game in his return home on Friday, racking up 28 points and 11 rebounds in 25 minutes against the Nets.
While his minutes haven’t been huge, he has at least eight rebounds in four of his six games with the Celtics.
Vucevic started his career with the 76ers all the way back in 2011-2012 before stops in Orlando and Chicago. He’s faced his former team 40 times in his career and has routinely enjoyed big games against them. He has averaged 18.5 points and 11.5 rebounds in those matchups, and he has recorded eight rebounds or more in nine straight games in which his team was favored over the 76ers.
Especially in the absence of Embiid, Vucevic should be able to do work down low again on Sunday.
thu
Dominick Barlow o8.5 Points (-102)
Without Embiid, Barlow could pick up more scoring down low, and he has a very attainable points prop, needing just nine points to hit the over.
He had exactly nine points on Thursday in his most recent matchup, playing 31 minutes. He played 20 minutes on Tuesday but didn’t take a single shot in the game in which Embiid returned.
While he’s averaging only 8.2 points per game on the season, he’s averaging 9.5 points per game this month. He has scored 10.8 points per game in his first eight games this month before Embiid’s return. With Embiid back on the sidelines again, Barlow should get enough usage to go over this prop line on Sunday in Boston.
Neemias Queta u7.5 Rebounds (-125)
Since Vucevic thrived on Friday, Queta played a smaller role. He only had two rebounds in 15 minutes in that matchup, and he has been under this prop in five of his last seven games.
He had back-to-back double-doubles against the Suns and Lakers on the road trip, while Vucevic was struggling. With Vucevic playing better at home, though, Queta could play a more reduced role the rest of the season.
He’s been a sneaky productive fantasy player this year, averaging 9.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, but if he’s playing behind an effective Vucevic, he will likely come in under this prop again on Sunday night.
Bonus Parlay Pick: Payton Pritchard o2.5 3PM (-123)
If you’re building an SGP (Same Game Parlay) from this Sunday night matchup, adding in the over on Pritchard’s 3PM (three-pointers made) boosts the odds to a solid +1000 for these four Sixers-Celtics bets.
Pritchard has come off the bench for the last 10 games for the Celtics, averaging 19.8 points per game and producing 3.2 3PM per game. He has gone over this prop line in six of his last nine games and made 4-of-5 from long range against Brooklyn on Friday, shaking off a little slump from the end of Boston’s recent trip.
