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Boston Celtics vs Philadelphia 76ers Preview: Odds, Tips and Prediction

Date: 6 March 2025 Kick Off Time: 07.30 pm, ET Venue: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts SportsBoom previews the NBA Atlantic division rivalry match between the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden on Wednesday, 6th March 2025. More than three-quarters of the NBA season is done with, and the playoff picture is taking shape, leaving teams eager and anxious to make it to the postseason bonanza. This intriguing matchup promises some degree of ramification, as NBA enthusiasts seek insight into the outcome of the game. We offer a well-informed review to help you find the best bets for this NBA game.

Ian Wanyeki
Ian Wanyeki

Last Updated: 2025-02-27

Chad Nagel

9 minutes read

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Jaylen Brown

Jaylen Brown//Getty Images

The Boston Celtics, the defending champions, will host one of their fiercest rivals the Philadelphia 76ers in their fourth and final meeting of the regular season, looking to win the seasonal series. The Celtics have gone about their business as expected, after experiencing championship hangover during the first part of the season. They have kicked into the next gear and all signs point to a lengthy playoff run with a possibility of claiming back-to-back NBA titles.

The Celtics core is healthy and their chemistry has been over the moon, signifying doom for potential contenders. They have a firm hold on second place in the Eastern Conference standings and have been playing brilliant team basketball since the All-Star break. Bettors keeping an eye on championship futures can find great value by checking out the best NBA betting sites for the latest odds on Boston’s title chances.

On the other hand, the Philadelphia 76ers have been the most disappointing team in the NBA after a tremendous roster rebuild placed them as one of the favorites to hoist the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy in June. Much of the disappointment has been channeled to their Superstar trio of former MVPs: Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George, who have failed to galvanize the team to contending status. The 76ers are 12th in the Eastern Conference standings and are staring at the possibility of missing the playoffs entirely, a scenario that promises large-scale ramifications in the upcoming offseason. 

Pre-Game Odds and Win Probability

  1. Boston Celtics: 4/7 (1.57) – 63.64%

  2. Philadelphia 76ers: 7/5 (2.40) – 41.67%

  3. Forecast Odds – Betting available on 1Win closer to event.

    For more insights on the platform, check out our 1Win bookmaker review to explore betting features, sign up bonus, and user experience

Head-to-Head Record

The Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers have played 470 games in the regular season, with 272 wins for the Celtics and 198 victories for the 76ers. In the Playoffs they, have squared up 116 times; with 66 victories for the Celtics and 50 for the 76ers.

Over a recent five-game stretch, the Celtics have been utterly dominant, having claimed four victories while the 76ers only have one.

LAST FIVE MATCHES

SeasonDateResult
2024/2025February 20th 2025 Philadelphia 76ers 104-124 Boston Celtics
2024/2025February 2nd 2025Philadelphia 76ers 110-118 Boston Celtics
2024/2025December 25th 2024Boston Celtics 114-118 Philadelphia 76ers
2023/2024February 27th 2024Boston Celtics 117-99 Philadelphia 76ers
2023/2024December 1st 2023Boston Celtics 125-119 Philadelphia 76ers
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HOW IS THE SEASON SO FAR FOR BOTH TEAMS?

Boston Celtics: Current Form – WWWWW

  • Overall Record: 41-16
  • Home Record: 18-10
  • Away Record: 23-6

The Boston Celtics are having a dominant season in their pursuit of back-to-back NBA championships. Thy are currently among the top-three best teams in the NBA.

However, since the All-Star break, they have gone on a rampage, disposing of teams with ease in the process. They have turned things up a notch and based on their recent performances, they are clear favorites for the NBA title as their championship experience, elite coaching and superior talent begin to show.

The Celtics are currently on a five-game winning streak and have dispatched Eastern conference contenders such as the New York Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers without breaking a sweat, perhaps signifying what waits in store in the playoffs, further emphasizing that the road to the NBA Championship goes through Boston.

Jason Tatum is leading his team in points per game, steals, rebounds and assists. Jaylen Brown has started to dominate on both ends of the floor with a similar consistency to the one that saw him claim the Finals MVP and Eastern Conference Finals MVP. 

Kristaps Porziņģis’s injury issues seem to be a thing of the past and he is witnessing extended minutes on the court, after experiencing injury-riddled seasons in the past. The rest of the core of the team have settled in and the second unit is playing mind-boggling basketball, leaving adoring TD Garden faithful filled with unbridled joy.

The Celtics are looking to secure home-court advantage in the coming weeks and will have extra motivation in this matchup, as they look to avenge their Christmas day home loss to Philly.

Key Players to Watch

  • Jason Tatum: Jason Tatum is a player on fire. One of the best players in the league, Tatum has taken his game a notch higher, improving his rebounding output while becoming one of the league’s best two players and is poised for another 1st Team NBA selection if he keeps this trajectory up.
  • Jaylen Brown: Jaylen Brown still finds ways to dominate even if his statistical averages don’t show this as the case. Brown is an elite defender and offers the Celtics another play route with his post and mid-range game if the team’s threes aren’t falling. 
  • Kristaps Porziņģis: Kristaps Porziņģis has been a difference-maker for the Celtics in recent games. He is fit and the Celtics are playing beautiful team basketball as a result. Porziņģis offers the Celtics size down low and makes the team’s play unpredictable since he is a marksman from all scoring areas on the court. 

Boston Celtics Team News

The Celtics may be without Al Horford, who will have his toe discomfort reevaluated and Xavier Tillman will likely miss this contest as he is recovering from a knee injury.

Philadelphia 76ers: Current Form – LLLLL

  • Overall Record: 20-37
  • Home Record: 10-20
  • Away Record: 10-17

The Philadelphia 76ers have had a rough and frustrating season, to say the least. Injuries have attacked the roster, as players have barely been on the court together and as a result, chemistry is at an all-time low. They have been awful to watch; with teams they were expected to defeat handing them painful beatdowns. A case in point is their recent two losses to the dismal and tanking Brooklyn Nets, who in contrast overtook them to claim the 11th spot on the Eastern Conference standings.

Their franchise player and former MVP, Joel Embiid, is a shell of his former self and has barely logged consistent minutes on the court. His decision not to play back-to-back games after returning from injury garnered a lot of criticism from both fans, legends and his teammates. 

The decision to hand a 34-year-old Paul George a guaranteed 4-year $211,584,940 contract is proving to be the worst decision by the current Philadelphia front office regime, as he has regressed at a rapid rate, far from what was anticipated from his offseason arrival. George is posting career lows across almost all his stat lines and is one of the reasons the team has been lacklustre.

Head coach Nick Nurse will be hoping to end their recent eight-game losing streak, with games slowly running out. One thing is for sure, a healthy 76ers is a match-up nightmare for teams as evidenced by their Christmas day victory in Boston against the defending champions, the Celtics.

Key Players to Watch

  • Tyrese Maxey: Tyrese Maxey is the future of the 76ers. Maxey plays fearless and is beloved by the city of Philadelphia for his never-say-die attitude. After beginning the season injured, Maxey has returned a man possessed. His game has taken a massive leap and he is leading the team in points, assists and steals. Maxey is averaging 27.1 points per game, 6.0 assists and 1.8 steals.
  • Paul George: Paul George has failed to elevate the 76ers into title contenders after much fanfare surrounded his free-agent acquisition in Philadelphia. He has faced a lot of criticism for hosting podcast episodes that number more than his team’s wins for the season. However, George is a walking bucket and can light up for a career night if he deems fit. He is leading the team in steals with 1.8 per game, coincidentally tied with Tyrese Maxey.
  • Joel Embiid: Joel Embiid is a difference-maker when fully focused and healthy. However, that is a big “if”. Embiid’s body language is far from ideal, and he is settling for three-point shots rather than his usual dominant post-game and flawless mid-range game. If he graces the court in Boston, the 76ers will match the Celtics “mano a mano.”

Philadelphia 76ers Team News

Joel Embiid may be available as he manages his load as a way of recovering from his swelled knee while building up his fitness. Jared McCain is ruled out for the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on his left knee. 

Kyle Lowry will have his hip re-evaluated and may be an absentee for this game, while Eric Gordon’s wrist injury and Justine Edwards’s ankle injury rule them out of this contest.

Predicted Lineups

Boston Celtics Lineup

  • Point Guard: Derrick White
  • Shooting Guard: Jrue Holiday
  • Small Forward: Jaylen Brown
  • Power Forward: Jayson Tatum
  • Center: Kristaps Porzingis

Philadelphia 76ers Lineup

  • Point Guard: Tyrese Maxey
  • Shooting Guard: Quentin Grimes
  • Small Forward: Kelly Oubre Jr.
  • Power Forward: Paul George
  • Center: Joel Embiid

Value Bets

  1. Jason Tatum – To Score Over 25 Points: Tatum is in the MVP conversation and usually turns up with a massive performance against Philadelphia, signifying the love-hate relationship between the two rival franchises. 

  2. Tyrese Maxy – To Score Over 22.5 Points: Maxy is by far the best 76ers’ player this season. He leads the team in scoring, with an average of 27.1 points per game. 

Prediction: Boston Celtics to Win

The Celtics will be looking to avenge their Christmas Day marquee loss against the 76ers in front of their adoring and raucous supporters. For them, nothing tastes better than beating Philadelphia; they are currently on a five-game winning streak while their opponents are out of sorts, riding an eight-game losing streak. 

Ian Wanyeki
Ian WanyekiSports Writer

Ian Mugo Wanyeki is based in Nairobi, Kenya. He is a sports enthusiast with vast knowledge of different sport disciplines. Ian is a graduate with a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Kenyatta University. He is a Kenyan journalist who’s worked as a sports analyst at Covenant Television Network, as a sports reporter at NTV and as a Sports Correspondent/contributor at Quartz Africa.

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