Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers Expert Pick – November 15, 2023

BOSTON CELTICS VS. PHILADELPHIA 76ERS EXPERT PICK – NOVEMBER 15, 2023 – Greetings basketball fans. Welcome back to our NBA coverage here at Godzilla Wins!

One of the games on tap for Wednesday night features the Boston Celtics (8-2) going on the road to take on the Philadelphia 76ers (8-2).

Here is a look at which squad has the edge heading into this matchup of the teams with the best two records in the Eastern Conference.

Tipoff

When: Wednesday, November 15, 2023 at 7:30 PM ET

Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA

TV: ESPN and NBCS-BOS

Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers Odds

Odds courtesy of DraftKings

Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers Regular Season Stats & Betting Trends

The Boston Celtics are off to a solid start this season. They posted wins in each of their first five games before suffering back-to-back losses to the Minnesota Timberwolves (114-109 OT) and the Philadelphia 76ers (106-103).

Following that mini hiccup, though, the Celtics have bounced back with three consecutive wins. This includes a 114-98 win over the New York Knicks on Monday night. Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 35 points (on 13-for-23 shooting), seven assists and six rebounds. Jaylen Brown added 22 points, six assists and five rebounds. Kristaps Porzingis also chipped in with 21 points, six boards, and three assists.

Meanwhile, the Sixers have gotten off to a good start in their own right. After a season-opening 118-117 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia won eight straight contests. Unfortunately, their streak was snapped with a 132-126 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night.

Joel Embiid paced the Sixers with 39 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, and three steals. De’Anthony Melton added 30 points on 8-for-13 shooting, and he was 4-for-6 from beyond the arc. Tyrone Maxey – who scored 50 points in his previous outing against the Pacers – tallied 27 points, five assists and four rebounds.

Boston and Philadelphia are top-five scoring teams. The Celtics are better from a defensive standpoint, as they have the fourth-best defensive rating (106.5 points per 100 possessions), while the Sixers are ninth in this category, allowing 110.9 points per 100 possessions. Additionally, Boston is holding its opponents to just 43.3 percent shooting from the field, which is the second-best mark in the association.

The Picks

The Spread

The Celtics opened as a 1.5-point underdog. That line moved to Boston at (-5) and moved again to Boston at (-4). Here are a few trends that suggest why going with the Celtics could be the safe play here.

• The Celtics are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games against Philadelphia.
• In the last seven head-to-head matchups between these teams, Boston is 5-2 against the spread.
• Boston is 9-2-1 ATS in its last 12 games that they have played in November.

Prediction: Boston Celtics (-4)

Over/Under

The projected over/under total opened at 223.5 points. That line has moved to 226.5 points. While these two teams are averaging a combined 240 points this season, here is a look at why choosing the UNDER may be the way to go.

• The UNDER total has cashed in four times. in Boston’s last five games.
• In the Celtics’ last eight matchups against Atlantic Division teams, the UNDER has prevailed seven times.
• The UNDER is 4-1 in the Sixers’ last five games against teams in the Atlantic Division.
• The UNDER has hit five times in Philadelphia’s last six games they played on a Wednesday.
• Lastly, in the previous five games between these ball clubs, the combined 226.5 projected scoring total was eclipsed only once.

Prediction: UNDER 226.5 points

Player Prop Bet

My key player to watch in this matchup is the reigning league MVP, Joel Embiid. He currently has -110 odds of scoring 31.5 points and -120 odds of finishing with less than 31.5 points. Although Embiid is averaging 28 points per contest in 23 games against Boston, I suggest going with the OVER, and here’s why.

In four regular-season games against the Celtics last season, he averaged 36.8 points per outing. This was the highest average against any team that he played against at least three times. Embiid is averaging 33.1 points per contest this season. Furthermore, he has scored 32-plus points six times across his last 10 outings.

Prediction: Joel Embiid OVER 31.5 points