Celtics vs. 76ers Game 4 Preview, Odds, Lines, Predictions, Picks

The Boston Celtics are back in business, as they have a 2-1 lead over the Philadelphia 76ers before Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Cs lost the opening event at home to the short-handed Sixers, who were playing without Joel Embiid. James Harden was on fire, smashing and bashing everything that stood in his way, but he couldn’t repeat such a performance since Embiid got back in the lineup. Meanwhile, the Cs are playing good basketball, versatile on the offensive side, so they won two in a row. They are coming off a 114-102 victory in Game 3.

• Celtics Odds -145
• 76ers Odds +115
• Spread 76ers -2.5
• Over/Under 214

Here is the preview for the Nuggets vs. Suns Game 4.

Preview

Boston Celtics (-145) had six players who scored ten or more points in Game 3. The diverse solutions on the offensive side were why Philly couldn’t catch the rhythm, and the Cs were constantly putting pressure on the hosts, who couldn’t respond properly. 

Jayson Tatum scored 27 buckets and had 10 boards, both team-highs. Jaylen Brown had 23 points and, seven boards, five assists, but his defense was near perfect, and Brown stopped all of the rivals he guarded, stiffing the 76ers’ offense. Al Horford added 17, Smart and Brogdon scored 15 each, and Derrick White scored 13. 

There was no chance for the Sixers’ backcourt to impose its own rhythm, so seeing the Cs win here is no wonder. All the players were super-aggressive, which explains only 102 points scored on the other side. 

Philadelphia 76ers (+125) couldn’t repeat Game 1 and notch another triumph over the Celtics. Some say that Joel Embiid’s return made the Sixers’ game more predictable and one-dimensional, while others believe that the victory in the opening event of the series was luck.

Anyhow, Embiid didn’t play as expected. Game 3 was something that could be labeled as satisfying, but Game 2 was under any decent standard for the reigning MVP. We’ll see if the Process deflated following the reception of the award or if something else happened. 

Another guy playing mediocre basketball against the Cs is Tobias Harris, who has 41 points combined in three events in this series. Without his help, this team can’t do anything, especially with 5.3 boards per game, which he currently averages. 

Head to Head Games

Boston won three games during the regular part of the season, and lost one. On the other side, in the playoffs, the result is 2-1 for the Cs at the moment. The first meeting ended 119-115 for the Sixers, but the next two ended with Boston’s confident victories, 121-87 and 114-102.

Predictions

The following few lines might come as a shock for many or something more rigid than they expected here. The Sixers don’t stand a chance in the series against the Cs, and we’ve explained throughout the entire year that this team is a bit overestimated. Embiid won’t get any easy calls in the playoffs, nor will his flops result in free throws, and we expect to see the Cs not only winning this event, but the one afterward as well. We pick Boston to cover a 2.5-point handicap and take the Game 4 before getting back home to the TD Garden.

Pick: Celtics -2.5 -110