Wednesday Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics NBA Pick
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Date/Time: Wednesday, December 22, 7:30 PM ET
Venue: TD Garden in Boston, MA.
Broadcast: CSNE, CSP
Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics Betting Lines from betED
Money Line: OFF
Spread: OFF
Over/Under: OFF
Battling a barrage of injuries didn’t stop an aging Boston Celtics squad from downing the Indiana Pacers on Sunday 99-88.
The Celts showed they could still keep the ball moving, even without NBA’s assist leader Rajon Rondo, as Paul Pierce finished with 12 assists and a triple-double to extend Boston’s winning streak to 13 straight.
Ray Allen added six more as the Celtics played their second straight game without Rondo, who is out for a couple of weeks with a sprained left ankle.
As expected, the Celtics have been rolling through the East behind the lead of superstars Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen. Outside of those three, the Celts have had excellent production from Rondo while adding playoff tested veteran/two time NBA champion Sam Cassell.
Now they will face a Philadelphia team they beat less than two weeks ago on Kevin Garnett’s alley-oop layup with 1.4 seconds remaining to give Boston a 102-101 victory at Philadelphia.
With its emergence of young players, the Sixers have been a pleasant surprise.
Andre Igoudala and Samuel Dalembert are enjoying career best years while point guard Andre Miller’s 17.1 points and 6.7 assists per game are quietly wining games. Head coach Maurice Cheeks has also done an excellent job in getting the maximum amount of production out of his young team that also includes Louis Williams, Rodney Carney, and Thaddeus Young.
Mix in veteran workhorse Elton Brand who has recorded 22 games in double figures this season, and you have a team that could make a run for the playoffs by year’s end. This season, Brand is playing 34.1 minutes a game.
The 76ers have stepped it up hitting on all cylinders defensively, allowing an average of 96.0 points to rank 9th overall.
The teams trip to Boston will be the second stop of an eight-game trip, a an area the teams need to improve on going just 2-11 away from the Wells Fargo Center.
With a new commitment to defense, Philadelphia is back in the playoff conversation, and I expect them to give the batters Celts a run for their money in this one.
Matt’s Free Prediction: The odds haven’t been posted at the time of this writing, but I am assuming the odd makers will heavily favor Boston in this one. While I think the Celts will win this one, my guess is that it will be much closer than most will expect. Take Boston SU or maybe the Sixers if the spread is less than eight.
Matt Martz is a sports writer for the Bakersfield Californian located in Central California. Blessed is the gambler who expects nothing, for ye shall not be disappointed.
