- What: Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics
- Date: Tuesday, October 18, 2022
- Location: TD Garden in Boston, MA
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: TNT
The 2022-23 NBA season officially begins on Tuesday, October 18th with a huge Eastern Conference tilt between the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics at the TD Garden. This is a classic rivalry and is the first of two games on Opening Night, with the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors also battling it out in the West. Philly and Boston both finished with a 51-31 record last season, but the C's made it all the way to the NBA Finals, while the Sixers lost to the Miami Heat in the second round of the playoffs. Continue reading for the 76ers vs Celtics prediction. Also, make sure to check how to bet on NBA futures. It's a great way to benefit from your bets in the long run.
Before we get into the odds, preview, and early prediction, take a look at our tips for betting on NBA games.
76ers vs Celtics Odds
 | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia 76ers | +2.5 (-110) | +120 | Ov 216 (-115) |
| Boston Celtics | -2.5 (-110) | -140 | Un 216 (-105) |
The Celtics head into Tuesday's contest as a slim 2.5-point favorite against the 76ers. In four meetings in 2021-22, both teams grabbed two wins apiece.
76ers vs Celtics Preview
Philadelphia has yet to reach its championship aspirations, but a very productive offseason is giving lots of hope to this fanbase that a title run could finally be in the cards. Daryl Morey went out and signed a plethora of key role players including Montrezl Harrell, PJ Tucker, De'Anthony Melton, and Danuel House. The two that really stand out here are Harrell and Tucker. Both guys are absolute dogs on the court and bring a level of toughness and grit to the 76ers. They should fit perfectly alongside the core of Joel Embiid, James Harden, and Tyrese Maxey.
While the preseason isn't usually an accurate gauge of how good a team is, Philly won all four of their games, beating the Nets, Hornets, and Cavaliers on two occasions. Embiid will be poised as ever to show out this year after getting snubbed for MVP in favor of Nikola Jokic, but Harden is truly the X-factor for the Sixers. He lost a ton of weight in the summer and looks to be in the best shape of his life. If The Beard can be the same player as 3-4 years ago, we could see this group in the conference finals at the very least, especially with Maxey expected to take another leap in production, too.
The C's made a heroic run to the Finals earlier this year, to the surprise of many. After a brutal first half, Boston was arguably the best team in the Association from January on and continued to ride the high before Golden State took them out on the grand stage. There was some unwanted drama recently though as head coach Ime Udoka got hit with a year suspension for having an affair with a female staffer. As a result, assistant Joe Mazzulla has been named the interim boss for the time being.
The Celtics honestly got better this offseason, adding a key backcourt piece in Malcolm Brogdon to the equation. His versatile skill set is seen as a huge asset to this squad alongside Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart. Udoka made a significant difference for the C's though, especially defensively. It'll be interesting to see how Boston fares with a relatively inexperienced coach. They're also one of the favorites to win the 2023 NBA championship, therefore the sportsbooks still clearly believe the Celtics have what it takes to be amongst the league's elite.
76ers vs Celtics Prediction
In my mind, these two teams are rather even now after Philly's reinforcements. That doesn't particularly mean anything come Tuesday night, but I'm liking the 76ers here. They looked tremendous in the preseason and did win their last meeting on the road against the Celtics. Embiid and Harden will ball out at the Garden and send the Beantown faithful home with a frown on their faces. Take the visitors to cover.
Pick: 76ers +2.5 (-110)
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