The Boston Celtics continue to be counted out, and they keep rising to the occasion. Despite being home underdogs in the first game of their Eastern Conference Semifinal, Boston knocked off the Philadelphia 76ers. They will aim to win again at home and really put the pressure on heading back to Philadelphia.
Even though the 76ers were outclassed in the first matchup between these teams, the oddsmakers haven’t lost faith. Philly is once again pegged as the favorite despite playing this contest on the road. The 76ers will likely shoot better from the floor in Game 2 but they need to play more solid on both ends of the court to have a chance at evening this series.
The Celtics are without Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward already and didn’t have Jaylen Brown for Game 1. Even with all of those injuries Boston emerged victorious and can make a huge statement with another win in NBA basketball betting.
Game 2 of this NBA Playoff Series is on Thursday, May 3, 2018 at 8:30 p.m. ET at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The contest will be nationally televised on TNT.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for every game of the 2018 NBA Playoffs.
Odds Analysis
The 76ers enter Game 2 as 3.5-point favorites to even up the series. The betting public is still on board with them as more than 65 percent of the action is on Philadelphia to cover.
The scoring total is listed at 207 points, with the “over” the much more common pick. More than 91 percent of the money is currently on that side of the total.
The 76ers are listed as the -165 favorites on the moneyline while the Celtics are the +144 underdog. Boston is currently getting more action, which isn’t a surprise considering its success in Game 1.
Last Time Out
The Celtics jumped out to a double-digit halftime lead and then kept the foot on the gas down the stretch, cruising to a 117-101 win over the 76ers in Game 1. Despite the absence of several key players, Boston had others step up. Terry Rozier led the way with 29 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
Jayson Tatum has a big game with 28 points, while Al Horford added 26 points and seven rebounds. The 76ers got a nice performance from Joel Embiid, who put up 31 points and 13 rebounds.
The 76ers, though, shot horribly from three-point range, finishing just 5-of-26 from downtown. That lack of outside touch sunk them in this matchup.
Player To Watch
Rozier -- With Irving out, the young point guard has gotten a lot more playing time than expected in the playoffs and has come up huge. In addition to the big performance in Game 1, Rozier played well in the team’s opening round series against the Bucks.
He is averaging 19.0 points and 6.6 assists per game in the playoffs after averaging only 11.3 points and 2.9 assists during the regular season. He is going to play a large role moving forward and will aim to keep playing well.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The 76ers did not look good on either end of the court, but they are much healthier and are still the better team. It’s never easy to win on the road, but the belief here is that Philadelphia bounces back in a big way to even the series.
The 76ers are the pick to win this game and also cover by the narrowest of margins in NBA basketball wagering. The “under” is the choice on the scoring total.
NBA ATS Pick: 76ers 105, Celtics 101
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