The Philadelphia 76ers opened as slight home favorites at the sportsbooks for Wednesday night as they try to avoid elimination by the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of their second-round series.
The Sixers fell into a 3-2 hole in the best-of-seven set on Monday night with a 101-85 blowout loss in Boston, with the Celtics surging to the ATS win as well. Rajon Rondo picked up 14 assists and Kevin Garnett led the way with his intensity.
Supporters of the Celtics have seen them go 39-27 and 34-31-1 ATS so far this season, while the 76ers are at 35-31 and 34-32 ATS. In totals betting, the 76ers are 30-36, while the Celtics are 29-37.
View Boston vs Philadelphia Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
Sportsbooks had the 76ers installed as 1.5-point favorites in this particular matchup at Sportsbook. The over-under number was listed by most sportsbooks at 174 at Sportsbook.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
This game pits the 76ers, currently No. 6 in the Odds Shark NBA Power Rankings, against the Celtics, who rate No. 17 in the most recent survey. Meanwhile, math and computer handicapping models run on this game predict a 95-94 victory for the 76ers.
How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Philadelphia's No. 22-ranked offense (93.6 PPG) against a Celtics defense that ranks No. 2 at 89.3 PPG. The 76ers have averaged 44.8% from the field per game, less than the Celtics have managed so far this season (46% on average).
Defensively, the Celtics feature the league's No. 6-rated defense on the road, allowing 94.3 points per game. Philadelphia, meanwhile, comes in at No. 25 in the league in scoring at home.
The 76ers were a 101-85 loser in their most recent outing on the road against the Celtics. They failed to cover the 5-point spread as underdogs, while the total score (186) made winners of OVER bettors. Philadelphia got 19 points from Elton Brand but lost anyway 101-85 against the Celtics on Monday at TD Garden.
Boston Celtics Trends:
When playing on Wednesday are 8-2
Before playing Philadelphia are 7-3
After playing Philadelphia are 6-4
After a win are 4-6
Philadelphia 76ers Trends:
When playing on Wednesday are 8-2
Before playing Boston are 3-7
After playing Boston are 5-5
After a loss are 6-4
A few Celtics at 76ers trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Boston's last 7 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games
Boston is 17-7 SU in its last 24 games when playing Philadelphia
Boston is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Philadelphia's last 7 games when playing Boston
Philadelphia is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Boston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games
Philadelphia is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Next up:
Boston home to Philadelphia, Saturday, May 26
Philadelphia at Boston, Saturday, May 26
