Sixers vs. Celtics Pick, Prediction, Odds
On Saturday, May 2, the Boston Celtics host the Philadelphia 76ers in a Game 7 matchup that will determine who faces the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Nothing about the 2025-26 NBA Playoffs has been straightforward thus far, and this series is no exception. Boston had a 3-1 series lead and had a game at TD Garden to close out Philadelphia in Game 5. However, since that game tipped, this series has been all Sixers. Well, the Celtics have another shot at advancing with a win on their home floor. Will they do it? Keep reading for our Sixers vs. Celtics picks and predictions. Also check out our VSiN NBA Playoffs Betting Hub for all of our NBA postseason content.
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How To Watch Sixers vs. Celtics Game 7
When: 7:30 pm ET on Saturday, May 2
Where: TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts
Channel: NBC/Peacock
Sixers vs. Celtics Game 7 Odds
Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook as of 12:30 pm ET on Saturday, May 2
Moneyline: Celtics -285, Sixers +230
Spread: Celtics -8.5 (-105), Sixer +8.5 (-115)
Total: Over 205.5 (-110), Under 205.5 (-110)
Sixers vs. Celtics Game 7 Picks
Looking at the season-long 2025-26 numbers, Boston seems like a much better team than Philadelphia. This is a Celtics team that finished the regular season with an adjusted net rating of +7.6, which was good for third in the NBA. They were also second in the NBA in adjusted offensive rating (119.9) and fourth in adjusted defensive rating (112.3). On top of that, Boston got back Jayson Tatum, who has looked pretty damn close to being his usual self, towards the end of the regular season. That only made the Celtics stronger in the eyes of the public, leading to Boston jumping way out ahead of teams like Detroit, New York, and Cleveland when looking at Eastern Conference futures odds.
The problem is that we don’t have any real numbers to back up where a healthy Philadelphia team would stack up against the rest of the league. Joel Embiid played only 38 regular-season games for the Sixers, as the big man dealt with a ton of injuries throughout the season. We also saw only 37 games of Paul George, who had his own injuries and also got slapped with a 25-game suspension for violating the league’s anti-drug policy. With that in mind, with both players healthy, we have to weigh what we have seen in this series heavily. And judging how the last four games have gone, I don’t see how the Celtics should be expected to win by at least nine points. And I sure as hell give the Sixers a better chance than the implied 28.57% that they’ll win the game.
As usual, Boston is living and dying by the three-ball, and the last two games have been brutal. In Game 5, the Celtics shot 11 for 39 from deep, then they followed it up by shooting 12 for 41 in Game 6. Well, if the Celtics don’t drastically turn things around from behind the three-point line, the Sixers will have their chances to win this game.
It’s also no mistake that Boston isn’t generating the kind of looks the team likes. George, who has always been one of the league’s best wing defenders, has done an awesome job of defending Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Whenever he’s matched up on one of them, he uses his length and elite anticipation to stay in front and contest everything. Having Embiid behind the defense to protect the rim has also been huge, and VJ Edgecombe being a pest at the point of attack isn’t nothing.
In Game 5, the Celtics scored only 104.3 points per 100 possessions. Then, in Game 6, they scored only 92.0 points per 100 possessions. That’s two consecutive games in which Boston didn’t even come close to touching the 121.1 points per 100 possessions that the team posted in the regular season. I’d also note that Game 3 wasn’t much better, but the Celtics had a little flurry that made the numbers look a little better.
With Philadelphia defending at such a high level, I just love the idea of grabbing 8.5 points. I’m genuinely shocked we’re getting more than +5/+5.5 here, so this is a bigger play for me. I’m also sprinkling the 76ers to win outright. While I have mostly shined a light on Philadelphia’s defense, the offense doesn’t mind going up against Boston either. Embiid is capable of eating against most of the Celtics bigs, plus Tyrese Maxey is torching Joe Mazzulla’s drop coverage.
The Sixers are also 17-14-1 against the spread as road underdogs of 6.5 to 12 points under Nick Nurse. On top of that, in Nurse’s career, his teams are 7-3 straight-up and 6-4 AT when facing elimination.
Best Bets: 76ers +8.5 (+100 – 2 units), 76ers ML (+250 – 0.5 units)
