NBA Handicapping Predictions – 76ers vs Celtics
Both Philadelphia and Boston closed out their opening series Thursday night in two hard fought wins.
NBA Basketball Matchup: #8 Philadelphia 76ers (0-0) vs. #4 Boston Celtics (0-0)
Date/Time: May 12, 8:00 PM EST on TNT
NBA Gambling Odds from JustBet
NBA Betting Favorite: Celtics -5
Over/Under: 170.5
The 76ers benefited from Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah’s absence, but this young team is playing very hard for Doug Collins.
The Celtics clamped down defensively on the Atlanta Hawks to squeak out with a win. This should be a series with plenty of low scoring games. Who will have the edge in Game One?
Philadelphia burst out of the gates this year, but then slumped through much of the regular season. They edged their way into the playoffs, but the team seems to be playing much better again. The trio of Jrue Holiday, Spencer Hawes, and Evan Turner are all stepping up in a big way in the playoffs. Holiday leads the team with 18.2 points per game. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Hawes is averaging 11.5 points and 8 boards. Turner is becoming a stat sheet stuffer for the team. Andrew Iguodala struggled through much of the first round series, but he was clutch in Game Six.
The 76ers have allowed just 89.4 points per game so far this season.
Rajon Rondo is one of the best point guards in the NBA right now. Rondo is piling up the assists and getting his Boston teammates many open shots. Kevin Garnett looked tired early in the season, but he has really kicked it in of late. Garnett led the team with 28 points and 14 rebounds in their Game Six closeout win over the Hawks.
Paul Pierce leads the team in scoring, and he’ll need to be on his game in this series. Ray Allen is still trying to find his shooting stroke after missing a lot of time with an injury. Boston leads the league in field goal percentage defense. Opponents shoot just 41.9% from the floor against the Celtics.
Interestingly, the three regular season meetings were all decided by at least 13 points. I expect Boston to jump out to a quick lead over the inexperienced 76ers.
Free NBA Pick: Celtics -5
