Philadelphia 76ers vs Boston Celtics Prediction and Betting Tips | Dec. 25, 2024

There are five Christmas Day NBA games this year, including the Philadelphia 76ers vs Boston Celtics matchup. The Atlantic Division rivals were supposed to be battling for supremacy this season, but the Sixers are way below the Celtics in the standings.

Philly struggled with injuries to start the campaign, with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George missing a bunch of games. The Sixers are currently 12th with a 10-17 record.

On the other hand, the Celtics are one of the best teams in the NBA at 22-7. The defending champions have looked unstoppable at times, but have had lapses in some of their defeats.

Wednesday's game will be the first meeting of the season between the two teams. The Sixers have only beaten the Celtics three times in their past 10 regular season matchups.

---

Philadelphia 76ers vs Boston Celtics Game Details and Odds

The 76ers-Celtics game is scheduled to take place at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts at 5:00 p.m. ET. It will be nationally televised locally on ABC, ESPN and ESPN+.

Fans can also watch it via live stream on NBA League Pass and FuboTV, which are paid subscriptions.

Moneyline: 76ers (+285) vs. Celtics (-365)

Spread: 76ers +8 (-110) vs. Celtics -8 (-110)

Total (O/U): 76ers o221.5 (-112) vs. Celtics u221.5 (-110)

---

Philadelphia 76ers vs Boston Celtics Betting Tips

Joel Embiid was limited to just nine points in his previous game after getting ejected in the second quarter. Embiid is favored to go over 25.5 points against the Boston Celtics. He has scored 26 or more points just three times in eight games played this season, so bet under.

Tyrese Maxey was clutch for the Philadelphia 76ers in their win over the San Antonio Spurs. Maxey is averaging 25.4 points per game this season and is favored to score at least 23 points. Take the safe route and place your money on Maxey to go over 22.5 points.

Jayson Tatum is having an MVP-caliber season, averaging 28.8 ppg, and has an over/under of 25.5 points. Tatum is dealing with an undisclosed illness and could miss the game against the Sixers. Monitor his situation, but if he gets cleared to play, bet on him to score at least 26 points.

Jaylen Brown is favored to go under 21.5 points, which is lower than his season average of 23.9 ppg. Brown has scored 22 points or more once in his last five games. If Tatum misses the Christmas game, automatically bet on Brown to go over.

---

Philadelphia 76ers vs Boston Celtics Predictions

The Boston Celtics are heavily favored to beat the Philadelphia 76ers on Christmas. The Celtics just have a better roster and are playing much better than their division rivals.

The prediction is a win for the Celtics and the total will go over 221.5 points.