76ers vs. Celtics Series Prediction, Odds, Best Bets for NBA Playoffs (Bet on Boston?)

Boston is heavily favored to beat the Sixers in five or fewer games.

The Boston Celtics and forward Jaylen Brown are heavily favored in the first round of the playoffs. | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

Two division rivals meet in the first round of the NBA playoffs, as Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics host the Philadelphia 76ers and Tyrese Maxey.

These teams split their two meetings during the regular season, though Jayson Tatum (Achilles) did not play in any of those games. Tatum is now back for Boston after returning in mid-March, and he’s looked every bit like the All-NBA player he’s been in his career. 

Oddsmakers have set the C’s as massive favorites in this matchup, and not just because they’re in the top three in the odds to win the NBA Finals.

Joel Embiid (appendectomy) could miss some – or all – of this matchup, and the Sixers were just two games under .500 when he was out of the lineup during the regular season. Overall, Philly finished 18th in the league in net rating at -0.1. 

Boston, on the other hand, was top five in the NBA in offensive rating, defensive rating and net rating during the regular season, winning 56 games despite tempered expectations after Jrue Holiday, Kristap Porzingis and Al Horford all departed in the offseason. 

Can Boston make quick work of Philly to set up a potential marquee matchup with the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals? 

The SI Betting and NBA experts are teaming up this postseason to pick each first-round series, including this No. 7 vs. No. 2 matchup.

Here’s a look at the different series markets and the latest odds before we discuss the picks for 76ers vs. Celtics. 

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

76ers vs. Celtics Series Odds

• 76ers: +600
• Celtics: -900

76ers vs. Celtics Series Spread

• 76ers +2.5 (+150)
• Celtics -2.5 (-175)

76ers vs. Celtics Series Correct Score

• Celtics in 4: +180
• Celtics in 5: +210
• Celtics in 7: +550
• Celtics in 6: +550
• 76ers in 7: +1300
• 76ers in 6: +1400
• 76ers in 5: +5000
• 76ers in 4: +10000

76ers vs. Celtics Series Total Games

• 5.5 (Over +160/Under -190)

76ers vs. Celtics Series Predictions

Peter Dewey

Boston is the clear favorite to win the Eastern Conference in the latest betting odds, and Jayson Tatum’s return to the lineup has gone about as well as the C’s could have asked for this season.

After finishing in the top five in the NBA in offensive rating, defensive rating and net rating, Boston is a massive favorite in this first-round matchup with a likely short-handed Philadelphia team. 

Joel Embiid (appendectomy) missed the play-in win over Orlando, and it’s hard to see him returning early in this series, especially since the average time lost for NBA players that have an appendectomy is over three weeks. Philly was just 21-23 in the games Embiid missed in the regular season, and it finished 18th in net rating (-0.1). 

Tyrese Maxey may do enough to steal a game for the 76ers, but Boston is the far better team. 

Pick: Celtics in 5 (-900, +210)

Chris Mannix

I’m convinced there is no version of the Sixers that can beat the Celtics. Like, ever. In 50 years, when the NBA has expanded to Mars and Philly and Boston meet in the second round of the Solar Playoffs (brought to you by YouTube TV) the Celtics will still smack the 76ers around. This year will be no different. I’d feel this way if Philadelphia was at full strength, and unless Joel Embiid makes a faster-than-expected return from an appendectomy, they won’t be. 

Pick: Celtics in 5 (-900, +210)

Liam McKeone

The Celtics have a few qualities of an overachieving regular season team that might struggle when opponents can key into their tendencies over the course of multiple games. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are proven playoff performers. However, the latter isn’t scoring at the same level post-Achilles and the former just shouldered the biggest offensive load of his career, which could result in heavy legs in the early going of the postseason. Pre-Tatum this Boston team also struggled to contain the Sixers’ electric backcourt, allowing Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe to average a combined 50 points per game in four meetings this season. 

That is about as optimistic as I can make this for Philadelphia. Everything else works in the C’s favor. Joe Mazzulla will have a great time scheming around the weaknesses of a center rotation missing Joel Embiid. Brown averaged 27 points per game against the Sixers this season and shot at least 50% from the floor in three of four contests. It’s hard to say if the city of Philadelphia has yet to recover from Tatum’s 50-bomb in Game 7 of the 2023 playoffs. 

At full strength this could be an interesting series. Without Embiid, the Celtics should cruise. 

Pick: Celtics in 4 (-900, +180)

Tyler Lauletta

As a Philadelphia sports sicko I am honor-bound to take the Sixers here. I do this against my own will and good judgement, with full knowledge that the record will not ultimately reflect… Ah never mind.

I enjoyed watching Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe go a little nutty against the Magic, and I am excited to watch that backcourt grow together regardless of what happens with Joel Embiid in the coming months. The fan in me is hoping that Embiid finds a miracle recovery tool—maybe he can jump on Luka’s plane to Spain real quick—and is able to find a way to come back before the series is over. That feels unlikely, but we won’t know until we know.

I’ll say Philly fights to the bitter end before losing the series finale by 30.

Pick: Celtics in 7 (-900, +550)

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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