Boston Celtics vs Philadelphia 76ers Point Spread Picks

Boston comes off two losses as the 76ers have evened the series, but the Celtics also have won two of the games by 32 points each. With a Game 7 on their home court, we can expect the Celtics to show up. Jayson Tatum left the game in the third quarter on Thursday night, but it appears to be just a calf cramp or stiffness, and he is probable for this game. Eight of the past nine meetings have gone UNDER, and Boston will need to come out strong on defense from the start after what happened in Games 5 and 6. Boston is on a 7-1 UNDER run at home. The Celtics are 57-31 UNDER, and the 76ers are 49-40 UNDER in 2025-26. Take the Celtics for the game and the first half UNDER.

Boston was a team-record 24-of-53 from 3-point land in Game 4, then went flat (11-of-39, 28%) in Game 5. It was an off-night for the better and healthier team in this series. Philadelphia leaned on its best players to stay alive, with four starters playing 39, 40, 43, and 43 minutes. In the last three games, Boston's edge in offensive rebounding has been impressive. The Celtics won Games 3 and 4 at Philadelphia, 108-100 and 128-96. Look for a big bounce-back effort as the talented and deep men in green end this series. Play Boston. 

Philadelphia got star Joel Embiid back in Game 4, and he had 26 points and 10 boards. It was a bad game for the team, but this is not a bad team, with a slew of stars alongside Embid, in Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, and rookie V.J. Edgecombe, the third pick in the draft. The Celtics aren't going to be as red-hot from long range like they were in Game 4, setting a team record from area code three. Boston has lost three of its last five home playoff games as chalk of 13, 10.5, and 8.5. The 76ers won the last game at Boston, 111-97, as a +13.5 underdog, without Embiid, as Maxey and Edgecombe combined for 59 points. They also won at Boston during the regular season, 117-116, at +5.5. Play Philadelphia on the moneyline.  

The difference in star power was evident in Game 3, a 108-100 Boston win. Philadelphia center Joel Embiid is still out, while the Celtics' deadly duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown (25 points each) combined for 19 points in the fourth quarter. Boston had a 45-37 rebound edge, including 15 offensive boards. The Celtics are on a 10-4 ATS run. Philadelphia's defense ranks 11th of 16 playoff teams in points given up and ninth at defending beyond the arc. They ranked 19th in points allowed during the regular season. Play Boston. 

The old Zig Zag Theory will be in full force in Game 3. It's an NBA playoffs trend that simply says to bet on the team that lost the previous game, especially if it was a favorite. We saw it come through on Wednesday night, when the Pistons won and covered against the Hawks after losing Game 1 of their series. Plus, Philadelphia hit 19 of 39 from 3-point distance, and that kind of accuracy is unlikely to happen in consecutive games. We also can expect Boston to shoot better than 39 percent overall and 26 percent from beyond the arc, as it did on Tuesday. The past five meetings have gone UNDER, and the 76ers have stayed UNDER in eight of nine games while averaging just 104.9 points in their past eight. Boston is 12-5 UNDER its past 17 road games and 7-2 ATS its past nine games. Take the Celtics and the UNDER.