Tuesday’s nationally-televised NBA slate opens at 8 p.m. ET when two Eastern Conference rivals clash in Philadelphia. LeBron James and the 76ers are set to host Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics, pitting two division rivals against each other on NBC. With these teams first and second in their conference, this should be a fantastic matchup with plenty of star power to watch for on both sides.
Read on for a full preview, prediction and pick for Tuesday’s Celtics vs. 76ers matchup, courtesy of odds on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Celtics vs. 76ers prediction, preview
The C’s are on a roll at the moment after taking three straight games in hand, though a pair of wins over the Bucks and another over the Hornets haven’t exactly come against the stiffest competition. Still, you play who’s in front of you, and Boston is battle-tested already, to some degree. This team is 8-2 and ranks second in the NBA in NETRTG at +11.1, playing elite hoops on both sides of the ball. The offense is producing 115.0 PPG but is third in OFFRTG, bombing away from beyond the arc as par for the course – the Celtics are seventh in 3PA and second in 3PM per game with a 37.6% 3P% that ranks fifth best. They’re also seventh in assists per game and 10th in turnovers, largely playing efficiently despite a 45.4% FG% that ranks 21st. They’re 11th in rebounding with 45.0 boards a game, and defensively, they’re quite stout. Boston allows the third-fewest PPG (104.3) and ranks sixth in DEFRTG, also holding opponents to the second-lowest FG% at 42.3%.
Jayson Tatum leads the team in two major categories with 27.1 points and 7.8 assists per game, also pulling down 6.0 rebounds. Paul George has been excellent with 20.4 points and 2.3 steals per game in his first season with the franchise, while Derrick White and Payton Pritchard are averaging 12.9 and 12.8 PPG, respectively. The C’s lack a true standout rebounder, but Neemias Queta’s 6.2 per game are a team-best mark and Mitchell Robinson contributes 5.7. The injury report is largely clean where rotation pieces are concerned.
The 76ers, meanwhile, faltered a few nights ago with a loss to the Cavaliers, but otherwise are 3-1 this month and 9-2 overall. Much like Boston, there have been some easier nights since two of those games came against the Bulls, but again, you play who’s in front of you. This new-look Philly roster has taken care of business, but the +3.1 NETRTG does fall 14th – a good deal below what you’d expect from a true contender. It’s early, though, and this team is still working out the kinks on an offense with new big-name talents in the mix. The Sixers average 111.0 PPG and are 21st in OFFRTG. Efficiency isn’t a strong suit with a 44.6% FG% that ranks 23rd and a 34.0% 3P% that falls 20th, but they do commit the fewest turnovers of any team in the sport with just 12.9 per game. It’s been the defense that has kept them afloat many nights, conceding 107.9 PPG and ranking fifth in DEFRTG. Philadelphia takes away the three-pointer with the third-lowest opponent 3P% at 31.6%, also ranking eighth in opponent FG% at 44.5%.
The 76ers are led in scoring by Tyrese Maxey with 26.9 points and 5.5 assists per game, with Jaylen Brown playing second fiddle and producing 22.3 points and 6.7 rebounds. Former MVP Joel Embiid posts 17.9 points and a team-best 9.7 rebounds, while LeBron James contributes 15.6 points, 7.1 boards and a team-high 6.7 dimes. VJ Edgecombe also plays a key role with 13.2 PPG. The injury report does have Adem Bona out tonight.
Celtics vs. 76ers pick, best bet
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Celtics as a 1.5-point favorite on the road tonight with -117 odds on the Moneyline. The 76ers are a -101 underdog to win outright at home with the total set at 216.5 combined points.
These teams haven’t met yet in the regular season, but it’s worth noting that Philadelphia has already faced some tougher competition than Boston has. The Sixers have wins over the Cavaliers and Pistons with a pair of victories over the Knicks; the Celtics have beaten New York once themselves but their next-best victory came against the Magic. The resilience these 76ers have shown in tougher matchups is admirable, and so long as the defense keeps doing its thing, they should hang around tonight. Taking away the three is what they’re best at, but the deep ball just happens to be the crux of the opposing offense.
That’s not to say that the C’s will be shut down from beyond the arc entirely, but they should be slowed down enough to cause the offense to stagnate a little bit. And while the 76ers are still figuring out how all their superstar pieces fit together, they also have an advantage in the paint in Embiid and can create mismatches elsewhere. There’s more high-end talent in their rotation than Boston has, and in games like tonight, that may be all the difference.
