The Boston Celtics (17-6) can prolong a 10-game home winning streak when they meet the Philadelphia 76ers (18-7) at TD Garden. The game starts at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 12, 2019, and will air on TNT.
Boston is a 1.5-point favorite on the opening line, while the game’s Over/Under (O/U) opened at 210 points.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics ATS Prediction
In the 76ers’ last outing, they topped the Denver Nuggets, 97-92, resulting in a push. The game’s total points (189) finished well under the O/U total of 208.5. Philadelphia’s rebounding was their biggest advantage. The 76ers had more offensive rebounds (12 vs. five), defensive rebounds (37 vs. 33) and total rebounds (49 vs. 38). Philadelphia received a boost from Joel Embiid, who was the team’s high scorer with 22 points on 8-for-18 shooting.
The Celtics were beaten by the Indiana Pacers in their last outing, 122-117, but did cover as 13-point underdogs. The combined points for the game (239) came in well over the projected point total of 216. Indiana was effective at getting and making free throws. The Pacers made 30 of their 36 free throws (83.3 percent), while the Celtics were 17-22 (77.3 percent). With 44 points on 16-for-28 shooting, Kemba Walker was the game’s high scorer.
This is the second game of the season between these two squads. In the first, Embiid recorded 15 points and 13 rebounds and the 76ers defeated the Celtics 107-93, covering as 6-point favorites. The game finished with a total of 200 points, which was 15 points below the projected point total of 215 points. The 76ers had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (27.9 vs. 16.7) and had a better free throw rate (0.306 vs. 0.222).
Philadelphia holds records of 18-7 straight up (SU) and 12-11-2 against the spread (ATS). A little over half of the 76ers’ games have finished under the total.
Meanwhile, Boston owns records of 17-6 SU and 14-7-1 ATS. Of the Celtics’ 22 games with betting action, 14 have finished under the total.
Second-chance opportunities might be few and far between for Boston in this battle. The Celtics rank 15th in offensive rebounding percentage (22.8 percent), while Philadelphia ranks first in defensive rebounding percentage (82.5 percent). Ball protection could be troublesome for the 76ers. They rank 26th at avoiding errors (turnover percentage of 15.4 percent), while the Celtics force the fourth-most turnovers in the NBA (opponents’ turnover percentage of 15.3 percent).
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics ATS Pick
ATS Pick: ATS Winner – 76ers, O/U – Under
Betting Trends
Philadelphia is 5-6-1 ATS on the road with 6 overs, 5 unders and 1 push.
Boston is 7-3 ATS at home with 6 unders and 4 overs.
When allowing less than 100 points, Philadelphia is 10-0 and Boston is 6-1.
When reaching the century mark, the 76ers are 15-4 and the Celtics are 16-3.
Philadelphia ranks first in three pointers allowed per game (26.8) while Boston ranks 25th (35.0).
The 76ers rank first in rebounds allowed per game (39.4) while the Celtics rank 21st (46.1).
Boston ranks first in steals allowed per game (6.2) while Philadelphia ranks 20th (8.1).
The 76ers rank fourth in blocks allowed per game (4.1) while the Celtics rank 21st (5.5).
Philadelphia ranks second in second chance points allowed per game (10.6) while Boston ranks 19th (13.5).
The 76ers rank third in assists per game (26.8) while the Celtics rank 19th (23.4).
Boston ranks second in points off turnovers allowed per game (14.3) while Philadelphia ranks 17th (17.5).
The Celtics rank third in points allowed in the paint per game (42.0) while the 76ers rank ninth (45.9).
Philadelphia ranks third in fast break points allowed per game (12.0) while Boston ranks seventh (12.1).
Over its last five contests, Philadelphia is 3-1-1 ATS with 3 unders, 1 over and 1 push.
Boston is 4-1 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs over its last five games.
The 76ers’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 12.2, up from 6.2 for the season.
During their last five games, the Celtics have scored an average of 112.0 points per game (1.1 above their season average) and allowed an average of 100.4 points per game (3.2 below their season average).
