Game 3 Celtics vs 76ers Picks, Odds & Props (May 5)
By George Nassios in NBA Basketball
Published:
- Game 3 between the Celtics and 76ers shifts to Philadelphia on Friday, May 5th
- Despite Joel Embiid returning to the lineup, Philly got pounded 121-87 in Game 2
- Check out the Celtics vs 76ers Game 3 predictions, player prop picks and odds
Answering back with a vengeance, the Celtics (62-28, 27-17 away) destroyed the 76ers (59-29, 31-12 home) by 34 points in Game 2 after losing the series opener to a Philly team that didn’t have the league MVP, Joel Embiid in the lineup. The big man was back for Game 2, but it didn’t matter much, as Boston dominated.
With the series squared at one game apiece, things swing over to Philadelphia for Game 3 on Friday, May 5th. Tipoff for this contest is scheduled for 7:30 pm ET and can be seen on ESPN and TSN. The 76ers easily won both of their first round home games and are hoping for more of the same against the Celtics.
We dish out the Celtics vs 76ers odds for Game 3 below, while also providing analysis leading to our best bet and prediction. After some of the stars had some awful performances last time out, we’ll tell you which players we are targeting in our prop picks as well.
Celtics vs 76ers Game 3 Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | -1.5 (-115) | -130 | O 214 (-110) |
| Philadelphia 76ers | +6.5 (-105) | +110 | U 214 (-110) |
It was a tough return to the court for Embiid as the Celtics came out angry and determined after going down a game in the series. Even with home court advantage, the 76ers are +110 moneyline underdogs when they host Boston in Game 3.
As -130 chalk on the moneyline, the Celtics have an implied win probability of 56.52% to take the series lead, while Philly has a 47.62% probability to win in their first home game in over two weeks.
Odds as of May 4th at DraftKings Sportsbook.Â
Celtics vs 76ers Betting Trends
Prior to Game 2, would you believe it if I told you the Celtics would win by over 30 points with Jayson Tatum playing under 20 minutes and making just one field goal?
Well, that’s what happened, as the defense led by Jaylen Brown harassed Philly into shooting under 40% from the floor and putting up just 87 points total, the 76ers worst offensive output since November!
Any emotional boost that Embiid may have provided was quickly put to bed by Boston. They tested the MVP’s knee injury constantly, putting him in space and attacking him in the pick-and-roll to see how much running he could handle. He finished with just 15 points in 27 minutes of action.
Joel Embiid is 1-9 vs. Celtics in his playoff career 😳 pic.twitter.com/X3Hz0ZuOrk
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 4, 2023
Even more concerning was the output from James Harden, who almost singlehandedly won the first game for the Sixers. Defended heavily and closely by Brown, The Beard was a terrible 2-for-14 from the floor and missed each of his six attempts from beyond the arc. With that kind of production from their stars, it’s no wonder the 76ers are underdogs in the NBA odds.
No offense to Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey, but one of those two will need to step up their performance big time if the 76ers are going to advance to the next stage of the NBA playoff bracket.
For Boston, while defense was the main reason for their big win, the scoring was spread out throughout the roster which was needed with Tatum struggling. The Celtics superstar had just seven points, his lowest output of the entire campaign. Luckily for him, Boston’s bench contributed 54 points to the victory.
Jayson Tatum tonight:
7 points
1-7 FGM
0-3 3PM pic.twitter.com/dWtfnmXhS4— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 4, 2023
We’ll see if Boston’s D can hold on the road. In their first round against Atlanta, the fewest amount of points they gave up was 120, hitting the over each time. In their last seven head-to-head meetings with the 76ers, Boston has covered six times.
Celtics vs 76ers Prediction and Prop Picks
Incredibly, Tatum, Embiid and Harden COMBINED for just 34 points in Game 2. This after The Bearded one dropped 45 of his own in the series opener. While we’re unsure of how much the Cameroonian center’s knee is hindering his ability, we expect a big bounce back from Tatum and Harden.
Celtics vs 76ers Player Prop Picks
| Player Prop Bet | Odds |
|---|---|
| Jayson Tatum Over 28.5 Points | (-115) |
| James Harden Over 21.5 Points | (-105) |
| Al Horford Under 1.5 Three-Pointers | (+110) |
With the status of Embiid’s knee up in the air, Harden will need to be more of a finisher than facilitator on offense, like he was in Game 1. He got to the line 10 times last game and if he embraces that type of contact again, we see him shooting much better than the 14.3% mark he put up last time out.
Tatum was in foul trouble off the hop and really didn’t need to play many minutes in the blowout win. He’s responded with 30+ point efforts in five of his last seven games following a game when he didn’t hit the 20-point mark.
While Philly won a Game 1 squeaker, the Celts showed they are a level above in Game 2. It was shocking that the 76ers beat Boston without Embiid, but it’s tough to see them taking the series lead with their big man nursing an injury. Our prediction is to roll with the Celts, at least until Embiid shows us he’s back in decent health.
Pick: Boston Celtics -1.5 (-115)
Sports Writer
George has had a lifelong love affair with sports and studying sports statistics since he was a kid. He graduated from Ryerson University with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism and has worked in the sports & media industry ever since in various roles from writer to producer.
