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Sixers vs. Celtics Betting Preview (August 19, 2020)
By Russ Joy
Published:
On Wednesday evening, the Sixers and Celtics meet in Game 2 of their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series. Boston took Game 1. Can Philadelphia respond? Let’s get into our Sixers-Celtics betting preview, including odds, boosts, and picks.
But before we do, FOX Bet has a 76 to 1 odds offer on any Sixers bet in August. Sign up in Pennsylvania here and in New Jersey here.
Preview
The Sixers and Celtics will meet in Game 2 of a first-round series between two of the NBA’s most iconic franchises.
The Sixers did a decent enough job in Game 1 of replacing some of the productivity of their starting point guard Ben Simmons, who is out for the remainder of the season following surgery to remove a loose body from his knee. Despite the starting backcourt of Shake Milton and Josh Richardson dropping 31 combined points, the Sixers fell short in a comeback effort 109-101.
The Celtics looked like a real contender as the duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 61 points, while starting point guard Kemba Walker played 35 minutes despite a nagging knee injury. It wasn’t all rainbows and smiles for the Celtics, however, as Gordon Hayward -who had been working his way back into his Utah Jazz star form- sustained an ankle injury after 34 minutes of action and is now expected to miss four weeks.
Are the Celtics deep enough to overcome the loss of Hayward? Will Kemba Walker be forced into playing more minutes if head coach Brad Stevens shortens his bench?
Sixers vs. Celtics Odds
Here’s the line for the Sixers and Celtics at DraftKings Sportsbook PA:
- Spread: Sixers +4.5, Celtics -4.5
- Moneyline: Sixers +150, Celtics -180
- Total: 215.5
And here are the current best available odds for the Sixers (may not display on Google AMP pages):
[metabet_core_odds_compare query=”76ers” size=”300×250″ site_id=”crossingbroad”]
Bets We Like With a Celtics Win
FiveThirtyEight gives the Celtics a 56% chance of winning with a -1.5 point line. Interestingly, the team’s implied win probability, based on the moneyline, is 64.3%, a difference of just 8.4%. While the Celtics remain the favorite following a Game 1 win that saw them installed as the favorite, the oddsmakers and FiveThirtyEight models have both tightened the gap between the teams.
Celtics to Win and Under 215.5 Total Points (+195, DraftKings)
Game 1 of this series went along the lines of what we expected going in. The Celtics won and Under 217 total points hit. The total has dropped 1.5 points for this one, which might give some bettors pause, but it shouldn’t. In five matchups this season, the Celtics and Sixers have combined for 200, 224, 207, 211, and 210 points. Keep in mind that the teams shot at a decent enough clip in Game 1, with Boston (42.2%/32.3%/88.5%) hitting just ~4% worse from the field and three-point range and Philadelphia (46.3%/33.3%/78.3%) nearly hitting their season averages give-or-take 1% or so.
Based on the gameplan installed by the Sixers in Game 1, one which saw franchise center Joel Embiid attempt just four shots in the fourth quarter, expect him to come out shooting early and often, but getting a similar performance out of rotation wing Alec Burks is highly unlikely.
You can get this one at DraftKings Sportsbook by clicking here.
Bets We Like With a Sixers Win
Sixers Win and Under 215.5 Total Points (+360, DraftKings)
For the Sixers to have a realistic chance of winning Game 2, they’ll need a dominant performance from Joel Embiid, whose end of game lack of urgency stained an otherwise solid performance in Game 1.
The real issue for the Sixers in Game 2 is where the scoring will come from. The 49 points they got from Alec Burks, Shake Milton, and Josh Richardson is in line with if not ahead of their expected scoring output. Assuming Tobias Harris and Joel Embiid see an uptick in scoring production, the Sixers will be competitive, but the bench scoring will also need to take a bit of a leap. Aside from Burks’ 18 points, the Sixers bench saw Matisse Thybulle, Furkan Korkmaz, and Mike Scott combine for five points in 42 minutes.
If you really want to take the Sixers to win in this one, parlay it with under 215.5 points at +360 odds at DraftKings Sportsbook.
You can get this one at DraftKings Sportsbook by clicking here.
Phillies, Sixers, and Flyers All to Win (+900, FOX Bet)
To be clear, this isn’t a bet we love, but it’s a Philly-centric bet that could pay out a huge reward with a max bet of $25 paying out $250.
After smashing the Red Sox 13-6 on Tuesday, FOX Bet has the Phillies listed as the favorite for today’s game at -175 odds. The Flyers are also favored to close out their series agains the Montreal Canadiens at -143 odds. The lone outlier in this bet is the Sixers, who FOX Bet lists as an underdog at +160 odds and a +4.5 point spread.
New users at FOX Bet can get a $20 free bet with no deposit and a $100 deposit match when they sign up in PA here and NJ here.
Bets We Like Independent of Outcome
Any Sixers Bet (76 to 1 Odds FOX Bet)
As noted above, FOX Bet is has a wild 76 to 1 odds offer on any Sixers bet this month. Sign up using the links here depending on your state and place your first bet for $1 on any Sixers single game bet (opt-in by selecting “challenges” once you’re signed up). You’ll be credited $76 win or lose.
New users at FOX Bet can get a $20 free bet with no deposit and a $100 deposit match when they sign up in PA here and NJ here.
Bryce Harper Over 0.5 Hits, Joel Embiid Over 0.5 Dunks, and Claude Giroux Over 0.5 Points (+200, FOX Bet)
This is a wild three-team bet based on the three biggest stars of their respective teams hitting manageable targets. Bryce Harper has had at least one hit in nine straight games. Joel Embiid holds a legitimate advantage over the Celtics’ interior defense and jammed one home just minutes into Game 1. Perhaps the trickiest part of this bet is the Claude Giroux portion. The Flyers captain has registered a point in two of the team’s past four games (both assists). Still, it’s a bet worth taking a flier on.
A max bet of $100 could pay out $300.
Users at FOX Bet can take advantage of this promotion in PA here and NJ here.
Sixers vs. Celtics Prediction
Pick: This game could be even closer than what we saw in Game 1, with the point spread and moneyline representing the oddsmakers’ uncertainty as to the impact the loss of Gordon Hayward will have on the Celtics. Until the Sixers show a true commitment to feeding big man Joel Embiid on the low block early, often, and throughout the game, we’re going to roll with the Celtics once again.
Take the Celtics to win and under 215.5 total points.
Russ Joy hosts The Russ Joy Show, Snow The Goalie: A Flyers Podcast, and It's Just Wrestling Podcast. He's blogged about Philly sports on Crossing Broad since before the Eagles won a Super Bowl. A graduate of West Chester University of PA and California University of PA, Russ is also a husband and father of four. Follow him on Twitter: @JoyOnBroad