The Philadelphia 76ers continued their impressive start to the season last week against the Boston Celtics, knocking off one of the top teams in the league as a home underdog on Nov. 8.
Philly controlled that game for most of the second half, building a 104-90 lead with 2:23 remaining before the Celtics nearly pulled off a wild comeback. The Sixers held on for a 106-103 victory thanks to a clutch 18-footer by Joel Embiid that made it 106-100 with 39 seconds to play. If anything, Philadelphia’s upset win last week — and both teams’ success over the last week — makes Wednesday’s game that much more compelling.
The Celtics and 76ers enter this game with most of their top pieces healthy, but Philadelphia will be without wing Kelly Oubre for a while after he broke his rib when a vehicle hit him on Saturday night. The C’s could be missing center Kristaps Porzingis, who is listed as questionable with a right knee contusion.
Boston has won its last three games since the loss to Philadelphia last week by at least 14 points, while Nick Nurse had led Philadelphia to eight straight wins going into Tuesday’s In-Season Tournament matchup against Indiana, which the Sixers lost 132-26.
The C’s are the slight favorites at , while the total is set at . Below is everything you need to know about Wednesday’s game, including our Celtics vs. 76ers betting pick.
Here are our Celtics vs. 76ers odds, picks, and predictions.
Celtics vs. 76ers Odds: Spread, Moneyline, Over/Under
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Boston Celtics (8-2, 5-3-2 ATS)
Boston’s strong start to the season has continued since last week’s loss in Philadelphia with one-sided wins at home over the Nets, Raptors, and Knicks. The Celtics lost to two good teams on the road last week, but they look like the team everyone envisioned after they added Porzingis and Jrue Holiday this summer. So far this season, the team has been able to answer its biggest question: does it have enough depth on the bench (besides Al Horford)? Horford, Payton Pritchard, and Sam Hauser have contributed just enough to complement one of the best starting fives in the league.
Horford and Pritchard are both struggling from outside, but Hauser’s hot shooting (47.8% from 3 for the year) has given Boston a big boost. The latter could be an X-factor Wednesday night, as he enters this matchup coming off three straight games with at least four made 3s.
Wednesday night’s game will test Boston’s ability to collectively defend the paint, as reigning MVP Joel Embiid is the last player the Celtics want to face if Porzingis has to miss this game.
Philadelphia 76ers (8-2, 8-2-0- ATS)
The Sixers had an eight-game winning streak snapped when they lost to the high-flying Pacers on Tuesday night. One interesting factor in this game will be how Philadelphia looks one night after a track meet against Tyrese Haliburton and Indiana. The Pacers are playing as fast as anyone, so fatigue will likely be a factor for a Philadelphia team taking on the Celtics one night after having to keep up with that pace. Assuming Porzingis misses Wednesday’s game, expect the 76ers to force-feed Embiid in an effort to get Horford in foul trouble. The 2023 MVP was 17-for-17 from the free-throw line against Indiana on Tuesday, and the Sixers would love another night featuring Embiid living at the line.
Celtics vs. 76ers Prediction: Strong Start for Boston, Big Night for Joel Embiid
This feels like a bad spot on the schedule for Philadelphia after last night’s loss to the Pacers. Playing one of their top rivals means the Sixers will be probably ready to go from the opening tip, but Philadelphia could be dealing with tired legs.
If Porzingis sits, though, it’s hard to see Boston winning, much less covering the spread. In that case, Embiid should have a massive night against Horford and whoever else Boston throws at him. Porzingis kept him in relatively in check last week (Embiid still finished with 27 points and 10 boards, but he was limited to just six free-throw attempts).
The safest bet prior to an announcement on the availability of Porzingis is Boston First Half (-2.5 at time of publishing).
Celtics vs. 76ers pick: Boston First Half (-2.5 at time of publishing); Embiid Over 31.5 points (points scored props for Embiid, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown are listed below):
How To Watch Celtics vs. 76ers
- Date: Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023
- Tipoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Wells Fargo Center — Philadelphia
- Where to Watch: ESPN
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