The Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics are two teams that expect to be in the upper echelon of the Atlantic Division each season. In order to do so, they will have to take advantage of games like this against one another, though their current roster situations may make it difficult for them to do so. Ahead of the opening tip of this Philadelphia 76ers vs Boston Celtics matchup, both teams have plenty of injury and illness situations to monitor as they look to pick up a win on Monday night.
There are key players on the injury report for both teams coming into this game. Because of that, it is important for bettors to take a look at the latest roster updates to make sure that they know who is and is not going to take part in this matchup closer to game time. But there are still some plays worth taking a look at as those situations get sorted out ahead of this contest in Boston.
Philadelphia 76ers – Star Player Questionable
Things have gone south for the Philadelphia 76ers recently, as the team has lost four of its last five games including three in a row. To make matters worse, they had their game on Sunday against the New Orleans Pelicans postponed due to their inability to field enough of an active roster due to COVID-19 related issues. Here, the Sixers will look to get things back on track and hopefully complete their game against the Celtics.
Philadelphia has several players in the league’s health and safety protocols, including Georges Niang and Andre Drummond who feature heavily in their rotation. But the Sixers also have some injury concerns to worry about, as their star player in Joel Embiid is questionable with an ankle injury. If Embiid isn’t able to go here, the Sixers’ chances of winning would take a significant hit in Boston.
Expected Line-Up: Tyrese Maxey, Seth Curry, Danny Green, Tobias Harris, Joel Embiid
with best odds
Boston Celtics – Another Questionable Star
The Boston Celtics have won two of their last three games, and are looking to continue building momentum after picking up victories against the New York Knicks and MIlwaukee Bucks over that period of time. But the Celtics are also dealing with their share of COVID-19 related problems, with players including Al Horford, Grant WIlliams and Josh Richardson all in health and safety protocols. To make matters worse, they are also dealing with their share of injuries at the moment.
The most notable of those injuries belongs to Jayson Tatum, with the Celtics star nursing a sprained ankle and being listed as questionable for this contest. Tatum would really give the Celtics an edge in this contest, as he and Jaylen Brown would be very difficult to guard at the same time for the shorthanded Sixers. Whether or not Tatum can take the floor could very well decide the outcome of this contest.
Expected Line-Up: Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Aaron Nesmith, Robert Williams
Expert Pick #1 – Under 214 @ -110
The top bet that we recommend for this matchup between Boston and Philadelphia is the under 214 at -110 odds. Both teams are just decimated in terms of their depth at this point in time, and both teams are going to struggle finding second unit scoring here. Combine that with the possibility of Embiid and Tatum being out for this contest, and we could see a very low-scoring edition of this Atlantic Division rivalry.
Expert Pick #2 – Celtics -3.5 @ -110
Next, it is worth placing a bet on the Boston Celtics -3.5 at -110 odds. Philadelphia has been without depth for a lot of this season, and it is clearly catching up with them. As long as Tatum is good to go in this game, the Celtics should be able to gain the upper hand and keep it against a Sixers team that is clearly on the decline, even with Joel Embiid in their lineup.
Expert Pick #3 – Neither Team To Score 30 1Q Points @ -105
Finally, we will place a bet on neither team to score 30 points in the first quarter at -105 odds. These teams played a game against one another where both teams failed to break 90 not too long ago. And while they may score a little more than that this time around, this game promises to be another low-scoring slog thanks to all of the injury and illness-related absences.
This is going to be a very interesting game, as both teams have so much production to make up for with the roster absences on both sides. Expect both teams to really struggle to put the ball in the basket, especially during the portions of the game where their benches are supposed to get involved.
