The Boston Celtics (39-16) travel to face off against the Philadelphia 76ers (20-34) on Thursday, February 20th. This game will be played at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia and televised on TNT. The Celtics are coming off a win in their previous game, while the 76ers are looking to get back on track from a loss to the 76ers. Tip-off is set for 7:00 ET.

Celtics vs 76ers

The Celtics Are Coming Off A Win

The Celtics improved to 39-16 with a 116-103 win over the Spurs on Wednesday. Boston, favored by 8 points, covered the spread at home, while the game’s total of 219 points fell short of the 232-point O/U line.

A key 10-0 run early on helped Boston build a 37-19 lead after the 1st quarter. The Spurs fought back, outscoring the Celtics 34-27 in the 3rd quarter, but Boston held them off in the 4th, winning the final period 23-22.

The 76ers Are Coming Off A Win

The 76ers fell to 20-34 on the season after a 100-96 loss to the Nets on Wednesday. Philadelphia, who entered the game as +1.5 point underdogs, failed to cover the spread. The total score of 196 points fell short of the 209-point O/U line.

Philadelphia trailed 76-66 going into the 4th quarter but outscored Brooklyn 30-24 in the final period. Despite the late push, the 76ers couldn’t complete the comeback.

Celtics Offense Breakdown

Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 32 points, 14 rebounds, and 7 assists in their win over the Spurs, hitting 4 threes despite shooting just 28.6% from deep. Kristaps Porzingis added 29 points, connecting on 3 three-pointers at a 75% rate, while Derrick White contributed 19 points and 9 assists, also making 3 threes.

Boston made 18 threes as a team, shooting 32.7% from beyond the arc and 46.2% overall. Tatum scored 14 points in the 1st quarter, while Porzingis added 9 in the 2nd and 7 in both the 3rd and 4th quarters.

76ers Offense Breakdown

In their 100-96 loss to the Nets, the 76ers struggled offensively, shooting just 43.2% from the field and hitting only 8 threes at a 24.2% clip. Quentin Grimes and Kelly Oubre each scored 30 points, with Grimes adding 9 rebounds and 4 assists, and connecting on 4 threes at 44.4%.

Oubre shot 62.5% from the field and made 2 threes at 66.7%. He scored 14 points in the 4th quarter, while Grimes added 12 in the final period.

Celtics Team Defense

The Celtics held the Spurs to 103 points on Wednesday, despite a 34-point 3rd quarter. Boston’s defense was strong in the 1st and 4th quarters, allowing just 19 and 22 points, respectively.

Boston limited San Antonio’s three-point shooting, allowing just 9 made threes on 23% shooting. The Celtics also sent the Spurs to the line 12 times, where they made 10 free throws. Boston finished with 41 defensive rebounds, 3 steals, and 5 blocks.

76ers Team Defense

The Celtics’ defense was strong in their win over the Spurs, allowing just 103 points. They held San Antonio to 19 points in the 1st quarter and 22 in the 4th. Overall, the Spurs shot 43% from the field.

Boston was particularly effective at defending the three, with the Spurs making just 9 threes at a 23% clip. The Celtics also sent San Antonio to the line 12 times, where they made 10 free throws. Boston finished with 41 defensive rebounds, 3 steals, and 5 blocks.

Celtics vs 76ers Trends

• Although Boston has a straight up record of 8-2 in their last ten road games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 5-5. The team averaged 113 points per game in these games.
• Across the 76ers last five home games, the team averaged 110 points per game while allowing 120. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 1-4, while going 1-4 straight-up.
• Going back to their previous ten games as the underdog, Philadelphia has an ATS mark of 6-4 while going 4-6 straight up.
• Looking back on the team’s last ten games as the favorite, the Celtics have a straight up record of 7-3. Their record vs the spread in these games was 5-5.

Celtics vs 76ers Prediction

Coming in as the underdogs at +7, we have the 76ers as the way to go on the point spread. Not only do we have them covering, but our projections show they have a good one of winning this one straight-up, if you’re looking for a higher payout on the moneyline.

As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 223.5 and our model has the Celtics and 76ers finishing with a combined 278 points. Our pick is to take the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.