Celtics vs 76ers Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for NBA Playoffs Game 3 (Boston Ups Pressure at Wells Fargo Center)

The 2022-23 NBA Playoffs continue on Friday, May 5 with Game 3 of the second-round series between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers.

Celtics vs 76ers Game 3 Info

• Series: Series tied 1-1
• Date: Friday, May 5, 2023
• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
• Venue: Wells Fargo Center -- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Coverage: ESPN

After a shocking Game 1 loss, the Celtics got back on track with a massive 121-87 win over the 76ers in Game 2. Jaylen Brown led the charge with a game-high 25 points on 52.9% shooting while Malcolm Brogdon dropped 23 points in 24 minutes off the bench.

Celtics vs 76ers Odds & Spread

• All NBA betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: BOS: (-120) | PHI: (+102)
• Spread: BOS: -1.5 (-110) | PHI: +1.5 (-110)
• Total: 214 -- Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)

The Celtics enter this contest as slim road favorites on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 7:30 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 214 points with both sides available at -110 odds. 

Celtics vs 76ers Betting Trends

• Boston is 8-3 straight up in its last 11 games.
• Philadelphia is 5-1 straight up in its last six home games.
• Boston is 9-3 against the spread (ATS) in its last 12 games.
• Philadelphia is 1-6 ATS in its last seven games against Boston.
• The total has hit the over in eight of Boston's last nine road games.
• The total has hit the over in four of Philadelphia's last six home games against Boston.

Celtics vs 76ers Prediction & Pick

The Celtics proved in Game 2 exactly why they're one of the best defensive teams in the Association. They held the 76ers — who scored 119 points in Game 1 — to a measly 87 points on 39.2% shooting from the floor with a 20.0% success rate from three-point range. Philadelphia also turned the ball over 13 times, playing a big role in why it never led by more than two points.

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Even though the 76ers have the home-court advantage tonight, I don't see them getting the job done. For starters, Joel Embiid hasn't been playing at an NBA MVP level, averaging just 18.8 PPG on 45.8% shooting in the playoffs compared to 33.1 PPG on 54.8% shooting in the regular season. While being banged-up is an excuse, as long as he keeps slumping, Philly's play will suffer.

On top of that, the Celtics have also won two over their last three trips to Wells Fargo Center, outscoring the 76ers by an average of 16.3 points along the way. Considering how Boston is also 6-1 ATS in its last seven encounters with Philadelphia, I like the Celtics' chances of taking the 2-1 series lead.

Final Score Prediction: Celtics: 119 | 76ers: 108

Celtics vs 76ers Best Bet

I'm siding with the Celtics at -1.5 as the best bet for Game 3. Not only are they 6-1 ATS in their last seven meetings with the 76ers, but the Celtics are also 9-3 ATS in their previous 12 games and have covered in four of their last five Atlantic Division matchups.

While Philadelphia has covered the spread more often than not recently, it's only 3-6 ATS in its last nine games played in May. After the 76ers struggled to score the ball last outing, the Celtics won't have issues winning by at least one basket.

Bet: Celtics -1.5 (-110)

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Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. 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.