• Bookies
  • NBA
  • NBA Picks
  • Follow Celtics-76ers Game Thursday On Nate Duncan’s NBACast

Follow Celtics-76ers Game Thursday On Nate Duncan’s NBACast

Bill Speros for Bookies.com

Bill Speros  | 3 mins

Follow Celtics-76ers Game Thursday On Nate Duncan’s NBACast
Bookies Plus
WHY BOOKIES PLUS?
  • Daily expert picks delivered to your email (Over 60% NFL winning percentage!)
  • Opportunities to compete against pro handicappers + win prizes (Bragging Rights 😁)
  • Follow handicappers who are riding hot 🔥
  • Exclusive betting offers from top sportsbooks
  • It’s FREE and takes 30 seconds to sign up!

The 76ers will try to go 3-0 against the Celtics on the season Thursday night when the Atlantic Division rivals meet in Philadelphia.

Bettors have reason to be wary of both teams. The Celtics come into the Wells Fargo Center on the wrong side of a home-and-road, back-to-back, two-game swing. Boston was embarrassed by both a seltzer-can-tossing fan and the visiting San Antonio Spurs Wednesday night in a 129-114 loss at TD Garden.

The Sixers will be without big man Joel Embiid, who dislocated his left ring finger in a 120-112 win over Oklahoma City Monday night. Embiid totaled 53 points and 26 rebounds in Philadelphia’s two earlier wins over Boston this season. Embiid is expected to get surgery on Friday and be re-evaluated in two weeks.

The 76ers are mere -2.5 favorites at home at PointsBet on an over/under of 215.5. Philly is -125 on the moneyline at William Hill, while Boston is +135.

NBA fans and bettors can follow the action via the NBACast, hosted by NBA expert Nate Duncan, starting at 7 p.m. The #NBACast offers live, in-game analysis, up-to-the second breakout stats and — as always — will take your questions. The NBACast is sponsored by Bookies.com.

You can follow the NBACast on YouTube, via Twitch or on Twitter/Periscope at @NateDuncanNBA.

The game will also air as part of the TNT Thursday night doubleheader, along with the Rockets and Thunder at 9:30 p.m.


NBA MVP ODDS: Experts Make Their Picks


The 76ers beat Boston at Wells Fargo Center on Opening Night, 107-93. Ben Simmons led all scorers in that game with 24 points, while Embiid added 15 points and 13 rebounds. Philadelphia also got the better of Boston 115-109 at TD Garden. Embiid was dominant, amassing 38 points and 13 boards. Both games were easy covers for Philly bettors. The second game also hit the over on the total.

Just 3.5 games separate No. 2 seed Miami and No. 5 seed Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference. Between those two teams are the Celtics and Raptors. The first-place Milwaukee Bucks (+130 to win the Eastern Conference at SugarHouse) hold a five-game lead over Miami and a six-game edge above No. 3 Boston in the standings. Meanwhile, confident Sixers backers can get their team at +1500 to win the conference at 888sport.

The race for the Atlantic Division title nearly mirrors the free-for-all behind Milwaukee in the Conference chase. Discerning betters can find the Celtics and Sixers favored to win the Division, depending on where they choose to wager.

Without Embiid in the way, Boston should be able to have some success attacking the rim on both ends of the court. But Simmons torched Boston earlier this season and is averaging a triple double — 18-11-10 — over the past two weeks.

The Sixers are 17-2 overall at home. Meanwhile, Boston bettors have found financial success backing the Celtics on the road, where the Celtics have covered 71.4 percent of the time as underdogs this season.


RELATED: Check out our free NBA Expert Picks every day of the NBA season

About the Author

Bill Speros for Bookies.com
Bill Speros
Bill Speros is an award-winning journalist and editor whose career includes stops at USA Today Sports Network / Golfweek, Cox Media, ESPN, Orlando Sentinel and Denver Post.