Celtics vs. 76ers: Game Odds for Preseason Opener

What are the odds for the 76ers' matchup against the Boston Celtics?

The NBA Preseason is here, and the Philadelphia 76ers are set to get back in action for their opener on Sunday night against the Boston Celtics.

The last time the Sixers competed, it was against the Celtics, who ended their season by way of a blowout Game 7 victory at TD Garden.

Don’t expect the Sixers to be out for revenge on Sunday night. After all, it is just preseason. As expected, the Sixers will go through the matchup shorthanded, which isn’t the worst-case scenario, considering they made it through the first five practices injury-free.

Some guys will simply get some rest on Sunday night. The MVP center Joel Embiid and the former MVP guard James Harden are the headliners on the Sixers’ bench Sunday night. The two veteran reserves, De’Anthony Melton and Furkan Korkmaz, will join them. 

As for the Boston Celtics, their plans for who’s playing and who’s not have been kept under wraps thus far. While Boston’s head coach Joe Mazzulla mentioned that everybody is expected to be available for the Celtics on Sunday, there was no clarification about whether everybody would actually suit up and play or not.

76ers vs. Celtics Game Odds

Spread: Sixers +6.5

Moneyline: PHI +205, BOS -275

Total O/U: 218.5

*All Odds are Provided by SI Sportsbook

Analysis

The combination of Sunday’s matchup between the Sixers and the Celtics being the start of a new season along with both teams potentially holding out key players, makes it difficult to gauge. 

If the Celtics decide they want to get an immediate look at their new key additions (Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday), mixed with their homegrown stars (Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum), then that would certainly give the Celtics a major boost against a Harden-Embiid-less Sixers squad.

However, any major advantage from star players would likely last just half the game, if that. 

Also, it’s necessary to keep in mind that the Sixers are rolling out an entirely new system under first-year head coach Nick Nurse. New personnel plus a new system equals possible growing pains as the game progresses. 

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