Philadelphia 76ers vs Boston Celtics Betting Pick & Prediction 12/25/24

At 5:00 ET, the 76ers (+325) will travel to Boston to take on the Celtics (-417) in an Eastern Atlantic Division matchup. The Celtics are currently favored by 9.5 points and the over/under line is set at 221.5.

This game will be played at TD Garden and can be seen on ABC. Philadelphia is 10-17 on the season and 12th in the Eastern Conference. Boston is 22-7 and currently sits in 2nd place in the East.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS VS BOSTON CELTICS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Philadelphia 76ers +9.5

This game will be played at TD Garden at 5:00 ET on Wednesday, December 25th.

WHY BET THE PHILADELPHIA 76ERS:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 154-151 in favor of the 76ers.
  • Our projections have Joel Embiid finishing with 30 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists.
  • From the field, we have the 76ers finishing with a field goal percentage of 46.2% and knocking down 15 threes.

Can the Philadelphia Offense Score Enough on the Road?

The 76ers improved to 10-17 on the season with a 111-106 win over the Spurs on Monday. Playing at home, Philadelphia was favored by 5.5 points but narrowly missed covering the spread. The game’s total of 217 points fell just under the 217.5-point line.

A key moment came when the 76ers went on a 12-0 run, stretching their lead from 64-58 to 76-58. Though the Spurs outscored them 31-27 in the 4th quarter, Philadelphia’s strong 2nd and 3rd quarters (29-25 and 36-30, respectively) helped them hold on for the win.

Tyrese Maxey’s 32 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists led the 76ers to a win over the Spurs, with Maxey hitting 5 threes at a 45.5% rate. He scored 12 points in the 4th quarter.

Philadelphia made 16 threes, shooting 36.4% from deep and 41.9% overall. Guerschon Yabusele added 17 points, hitting 3 threes at 60% efficiency.

The 76ers put together a strong defensive effort in the 1st quarter, allowing just 20 points, and gave up 25 in the 2nd. They struggled more in the 3rd and 4th quarters, giving up 30 and 31 points, respectively, but still managed to hold the Spurs to 106 points in the game.

Philadelphia allowed San Antonio to shoot 45% from the field and hit 15 threes at a 33% clip. The Spurs also went 17/18 from the free-throw line. The 76ers controlled the boards, giving up just 3 offensive rebounds, and added 11 steals and 2 blocks.

Can Boston Secure a Home Victory?

The Celtics fell to 22-7 on the season after a 108-104 loss to the Magic on Monday. Boston, who were -10 point favorites, failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game ended at 212, just under the 214.5-point line.

Boston led 58-43 at halftime but were outscored 36-21 in the 3rd quarter. The game was tied at 79 going into the 4th, where the Magic edged out the Celtics 29-25.

Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 35 points and 9 rebounds, shooting 51.7% from the field in their 108-104 loss to the Magic. Brown scored 15 points in the 1st quarter and added 11 more in the 4th. Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick White each contributed 17 points, with White hitting 3 threes at 42.9% efficiency.

Boston struggled from beyond the arc, making just 8 threes at a 24.2% clip, and shot 44% overall from the field. Porzingis connected on only 20% of his shots, while Jrue Holiday added 16 points, including 8 in the 2nd quarter and 6 more in the final period.

Despite a strong defensive start, the Celtics couldn’t hold off the Magic, allowing 36 points in the 3rd quarter and 29 in the 4th, leading to a 108-104 loss. Boston limited Orlando to 44% shooting from the field.

The Celtics did well in defending the three, with the Magic hitting just 13 threes at a 39% clip. Boston also recorded 13 steals and 5 blocks in the game.