Celtics vs. 76ers: Game Odds for Preseason Rematch

The 76ers are set to host the Celtics for a preseason rematch on Wednesday.

On Wednesday night, the Philadelphia 76ers are back on the court for their second matchup of the 2023 NBA Preseason. Once again, the Sixers will battle it out with the Boston Celtics. 

In their first set of action this preseason, the shorthanded Sixers held their own against the full-strength Celtics throughout the first half.

With Tyrese Maxey’s impressive scoring punch, the Sixers trailed by just two points heading into halftime. During the third quarter, both teams traded leads twice, before the Celtics and the Sixers cleared their benches and allowed the rotation and roster hopefuls garner some playing time.

The Celtics received a masterful performance by the recently extended reserve guard, Payton Pritchard. Unleashing confidence in his shot, Pritchard knocked down six of his nine field goals in the fourth quarter, scoring 16 points.

Boston defeated the Sixers to open up the preseason with a 114-106 win. After getting the last few days off, the Sixers will host their first matchup of the preseason, welcoming the Celtics back to town for a rematch.

Game Odds

Spread: Celtics -5.5

Moneyline: PHI +160, BOS -200

Total O/U: 220.5

*All Odds are Provided by SI Sportsbook

Analysis

For the second-straight game, the Sixers are going to roll without some key players. Joel Embiid and James Harden will get the night off, pushing their 2023 preseason debuts back.

Fortunately, Philadelphia gets a key two-way standout in the fold, as De’Anthony Melton is on pace to make his preseason debut on Wednesday night. It’s unclear if the Celtics will follow a similar path as the Sixers in terms of resting guys. 

Oddly, Boston was scheduled for a back-to-back to begin their preseason, so following a win against the Sixers on Sunday, they traveled to the Big Apple to take on the New York Knicks. Six of Boston’s top players, including Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, got the night off.

Even with Boston’s top players facing the shorthanded Sixers, Philadelphia found success with the aggressiveness of Tyrese Maxey. Once the fourth quarter approached, though, Boston got a huge boost from Pritchard, who was clearly juiced after getting a long-term extension.

Anything can happen in the preseason, but the Sixers could have a good chance to get a little preseason revenge on Wednesday, as they add another key rotational player in the mix.

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