The Boston Celtics are stinging after an embarrassing home loss to San Antonio but they’ll catch a major break as they visit the undermanned Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday. The 76ers will be without superstar big man Joel Embiid, who is recovering from a dislocated ring finger suffered in the fourth quarter of Monday’s victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
- Date/Time: January 9, 7 p.m. ET
- Arena: Wells Fargo Center
- TV Coverage: TNT
- Sportsbook Odds: 76ers -2.5 | O/U 216.5
- Celtics vs 76ers Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The 76ers opened as 2.5-point favorites despite missing their best player, but that number can be found at -2 in most spots. The total, meanwhile, has held steady at 216.5.
Boston News & Notes
Just as the Celtics had asserted themselves as a team that might be able to give the conference-leading Milwaukee Bucks a run, they fell flat in back-to-back losses to the Wizards and Spurs and have seen their lead atop the Atlantic Division shrink to 1.5 games over Toronto. Boston has also dropped each of its first two meetings with the 76ers this season.
But while the absence of Embiid – who averaged 26.5 points and 13.0 rebounds in the first two meetings – will help the Celtics’ chances significantly, they’ll need to be better on the boards in this one. Boston owns a stunning -36 rebounding differential in the previous two encounters with Philadelphia while surrendering 20 offensive rebounds.
Philadelphia News & Notes
The 76ers put the brakes on an ugly four-game losing streak with Monday’s 120-113 triumph over the Thunder but could be in tough to extend their winning ways with Embiid sidelined. He put together one of his best all-around statistical games in a while, racking up 18 points, nine rebounds and eight assists while playing 32 minutes despite dealing with that dislocated finger.
His absence puts pressure on the rest of a 76ers roster that was struggling to do much on the offensive end even with Embiid in the lineup. Monday’s outburst marked the first time in five games that Philadelphia reached the 120-point plateau – the 76ers averaged a dismal 104.5 points per game over the course of their four-game skid, going 1-3 ATS in that span.
Betting Pick: UNDER 216.5
With Embiid’s 23.4 points per game sidelined and the Celtics having played the night before, look for both sides to come in a little less sharp on the offensive end.
- Boston is 11-4 ATS in its last 15 games vs Philadelphia.
- Philadelphia is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games.
- The UNDER is 4-1 in Philadelphia’s last 5 home games vs Boston.
