76ers vs. Celtics Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for NBA Playoffs Game 2 (Boston Evens Series in Bounce-Back Effort)

The 2022-23 NBA Playoffs continue on Wednesday with Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics.

76ers vs. Celtics Game Info

• Date: Wednesday, May 3, 2023
• Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
• Venue: TD Garden -- Boston, Massachusetts
• Coverage: TNT

Game 1 of this Eastern Conference semifinal series was nothing short of dramatic. Boston and Philly went back and forth throughout the entirety of the game, but a James Harden three-pointer gave the 76ers the lead for good with under 10 seconds to go. He dropped 45 points in the 119-115 victory.

76ers vs. Celtics Odds & Spread

• All NBA betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: PHI: (+380) | BOS: (-490)
• Spread: PHI: +9 (-106) | BOS: -9 (-114)
• Total: 218.5 -- Over: (-108) | Under: (-112)

The Celtics enter Game 2 as substantial home favorites on the spread and moneyline at FanDuel Sportsbook. Wednesday's matchup also features a total of 218.5 points, with the under slightly favored at -112 odds.

76ers vs. Celtics Betting Trends

• Philadelphia is 6-0-1 against the spread (ATS) in its last seven games.
• The total has hit the over in 24 of Philadelphia's 44 away games this season.
• Boston is 15-5 straight up in its last 20 home games against Philadelphia.
• The total has hit the over in each of Boston's last five games.

76ers vs. Celtics Prediction & Pick

The 76ers and Celtics put on a shooting spectacle in Game 1. The two teams combined to shoot 60.4% from the floor (99-of-164) and 42.2% from three-point range (27-of-64). Turnovers proved to make a crucial difference as Boston tallied 16 of them, while Philly posted 6 giveaways of their own.

Philly was able to pull off one of the biggest spread upsets in recent playoff memory (+10 underdogs) and it will be aiming to do it again. However, this is a Boston squad that hasn't lost two games in a row since early March. The Celtics are resilient and own a +9.6 home average scoring margin for a reason.

The Celtics shot the lights out in Game 1, as they usually do inside TD Garden. After all, they rank fifth in shooting percentage at home (48.7%). Adjustments are needed on the defensive side, though, and I expect them to be made considering Boston ranks third in defensive efficiency on the season.

Final Score Prediction: Celtics: 112 | 76ers: 108

76ers vs. Celtics Best Bet

Malcolm Brogdon provided a spark off the bench in Game 1 of this series as he tallied 20 points on an efficient 9-of-16 shooting mark. The veteran guard has now racked up at least 14 points in each of his last five playoff games and has logged double-digit shot attempts in each one of those contests.

The advantage Brogdon has here is the fact that Philly's bench depth is subpar. He took advantage of matchups against defenders like Tyrese Maxey and Georges Niang in Game 1. Brogdon is averaging 14.9 points per game on the year and he has a great chance to sustain that success on Wednesday.

Bet: Malcolm Brogdon Over 13.5 Points (-128)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.