Philadelphia 76ers (56-32 SU, 51-35-2 ATS) vs. Boston Celtics (60-30 SU, 56-32-2 ATS)
Time: Thursday, May 3rd, 2018 8:30 PM EDT
Where: TD Garden Boston, MA
TV: TNT
by Keith, Professional NBA Handicapper, Predictem
Odds Philadelphia -170, Boston +150
Point Spread: Boston +4
Total Line: 206
The Boston Celtics will host the Philadelphia 76ers for Game Two of the Eastern Conference Semifinals when the 76ers hit the road once again to travel to the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts on Thursday, May 3rd, 2018 at 8:30 PM EDT. The contest will be televised on TNT for national audiences. The Celtics have won nine of the last eleven contests against the 76ers. That trend continued on Monday when the Celtics defeated the Sixers by 16 points despite closing as a mid-range dog on its court. Game One was all Boston when the final tally was 117-101. The Celtics frontcourt bullied Philadelphia, quickly erasing the 89-80 International Series victory that Philly had earned in the most recent regular-season meeting between the two in London, England in February. Boston’s physical and rugged defense once again created opportunities for Boston to hone their home court advantage. This playoff season, Boston is undefeated at home.
A big narrative that was featured in the build-up to this playoff series was first the divisional rivalry aspect of this contest. The Atlantic Division though it is known as one of the weaker divisions in the NBA, has done well for itself in 2018. The division sent the top three seeds in the East to the playoffs, including the top dog Toronto, this number two seed Boston team, and of course the three seed Philadelphia. Given the fact Philadelphia has been one of the weaker outfits as of recent, there has been a huge amount of hype wielded when the Sixers dispatched the Heat in just five games.
There are many betting trends worth looking at here. The Celtics have gone 4-1 ATS in their last five matches against Philadelphia. On the road, Philadelphia is 24-20 SU while the Celtics retain a remarkable 32-14 home record. The Over has gone 7-3 ATS in the last ten meetings between these two Atlantic Division constituents.
In this spot, Boston offers bettors the prospect of home court advantage complemented by physical defensive play. These two narratives have been the reason for Boston’s success in Game One and their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal victory against Milwaukee. The Celtics also have an established record of success against the Sixers, in recent trends.
The 76ers feature a young and talented team that plays with reckless abandon. Though they are one of the better teams in the East, they play with a chip on their shoulder as if they were still in the draft lottery. Given the fact the Sixers are a fresh face in the playoffs, they are a dangerous team albeit they have to talent to go far with a murky prognostication given their overall acumen.
From the opening bell, we have seen a lean materialize on the Celtics. This has been reflected when the market moved by half of a point in the direction of Boston. However, the action seems divided. 52% of the cash is on Boston, 51% of the tickets are with Philadelphia. In the Over/Under, we have seen the market fall by a point to reflect the action on the Under. 83% of the cash action and 90% of the ticket action is on the Over to counter this revelation. See what some of our regulars are playing in our NBA Forum.
Situationally, the Game One result sets up for a reaction from the public to book Boston. All the ingredients are there. Boston has won most of the recent meetings, they have not lost at home in the playoffs, and they had a significant margin of victory on Monday. Despite all of this, the market is still spotting points to Boston. This suggests that the books are reluctant to buy into another upset here in Game Two. Look for Philly to respond with a convincing win.
KEITHs PICK: Philadelphia -4 at 5Dimes to get the best line on this game and guys if you don’t have an account here, now is the time to save money during the NBA playoffs and all season long in MLB!