On their way to a date with the Knicks in Round 2 of the NBA Playoffs, the Boston Celtics lost their way and suddenly find themselves in a Game 7 of their Opening Round series against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Tyrese Maxey has played at an all-NBA level throughout this series, but the difference the last two games has been the return to form of Joel Embiid following an appendicitis and the renaissance of Paul George who looks the part of the dominant player he was a decade ago in Indiana. As a team, Philadelphia is also defending at an elite level holding the Celtics under 100 points in each of the last two games and in all three of their wins in the series.
While he is not just a finalist but the favorite for NBA Coach of the Year, Joe Mazzula has been outcoached by Nick Nurse thus far in the series. The Celtics have won when they have shot well and lost when they have not. It has been that simple. Maybe that would not be so cut and dried IF Boston had adjusted to any new wrinkle Nurse and Philadelphia had thrown at them. To date, he has not. Philadelphia has played a physical and harassing defense and with a healthy and active George in the lineup, been able to slow both Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.
Concerning for Boston is Derrick White’s struggles. An issue throughout the regular season, White’s issues shooting the ball, have been underlined in this series—he’s averaging just 8.6 points. He is shooting 30.9% from the field and a pedestrian 25.6% from deep. His efficiency needs to improve.
Philadelphia, meanwhile, has seen Embiid show up and thrive in the three games since he returned from injury. He posted 30 points in Game 6 and has delivered 26, 33, and 19 points since returning in Game 4.
Boston has historically thrived at home, but the pressure is now squarely on them after letting the series slip away. As noted earlier, Philadelphia’s defensive intensity has bothered the Celtics and disrupted their rhythm.
There is some question as to Jayson Tatum’s availability. Confirm his availability before proceeding with a wager.
Lets take a closer look at tonight’s matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game Details and How to Watch Live: 76ers vs. Celtics
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Date: Saturday, May 2, 2026
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Network/Streaming: NBC, Peacock
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Game Odds: 76ers vs. Celtics
The latest odds as of Friday courtesy of DraftKings:
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Moneyline: Philadelphia 76ers (+250), Boston Celtics (-310)
This game opened Celtics -9.5 with the Game Total set at 208.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Expected Starting Lineups: 76ers vs. Celtics
Philadelphia 76ers
Boston Celtics
Injury Report: 76ers vs. Celtics
Philadelphia 76ers
Boston Celtics
Important stats, trends and insights: 76ers vs. Celtics
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The 76ers are 24-20 on the road this season
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The Celtics are 31-13 at home this season
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The 76ers are 46-40-3 ATS this season
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Boston is 51-36-1 ATS this season
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The OVER has cashed in 40 of the 76ers’ 89 games this season (40-49)
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The OVER has cashed in 31 of the Celtics’ 88 games this season (31-57)
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Jaylen Brown was not engaged in Game 6 scoring just 18 points, pulling down 1 rebound, assisting on 2 buckets, and turned the ball over 5 times
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Brown shot 7-17 from the field in Game 6
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Paul Geore is 9-18 from deep over the last 2 games
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Tyrese Maxey is averaging 26.3 points and 6.5 assists per game in this series
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Saturday’s 76ers and Celtics’ game:
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Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Celtics on the Moneyline
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Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the 76ers +7.5 ATS
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Total: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Game Total UNDER 205.5
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
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Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
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Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
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Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
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Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)
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