Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics NBA Picks & Predictions 12/25/2018

Tuesday, December 25, 2018

TD Garden

Get todays NBA odds and lines on this game.

The Philadelphia 76ers travel to TD Garden to play the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, December 25, 2018. The opening line for this matchup has Boston as 6 point favorites.

The 76ers head into this matchup with a mark of 22-12. They are 2nd in the Atlantic Division. They have a point differential of 2.8 as they average 114.6 points per contest while giving up 111.7 per game. The Celtics have an overall mark of 19-13. They currently are 3rd in the Atlantic Division. They total 111.3 points per contest and give up 104.8, which is a point differential of 6.6.

Valuable Philadelphia 76ers Betting Trends

The Philadelphia 76ers are 16-18-0 against the spread

The Philadelphia 76ers are 20-13-0 against the over/under

Important Boston Celtics Betting Trends

The Boston Celtics are 15-16-0 against the spread

The Boston Celtics are 18-13-0 against the over/under

Key Philadelphia 76ers Injuries

12/22/18 SF Wilson Chandler Quad is questionable Tuesday vs Boston
11/20/18 PG Markelle Fultz Shoulder is out indefinitely

Key Boston Celtics Injuries

12/19/18 C Aron Baynes Hand is out indefinitely

Player Spotlight

Joel Embiid averages 26.4 points per game in 33.7 minutes per contest. He averages 3.5 assists per contest and 13.2 rebounds per game. His field goal percentage is 48% for the year while his free throw percentage is 79%. Ben Simmons comes into this contest averaging 16.2 points per game while playing 33.2 minutes per night. He pulls down 9.2 rebounds per game and dishes out 7.9 assists per game as well. His field goal percentage is 59% while his free throw percentage is at 60%.

Player Spotlight

Jayson Tatum averages 16.8 points per game and he sees the court an average of 31.1 minutes per contest. He also averages 6.4 rebounds per contest and 1.7 assists per game. His field goal percentage is 46% and his free throw percentage is 84%. Kyrie Irving averages 22.7 points per game while playing 32.0 minutes per contest. He grabs 4.9 rebounds per game and has 6.4 assists per contest on the year. His field goal percentage is 48% and his free throw percentage is at 84%.

Useful Team Statistics

The 76ers allow 111.7 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 23rd in the league. They also allow a 45% shooting percentage and a 34% average from behind the arc, ranking them 5th and 7th in those defensive categories. Opponents average 43.4 rebounds a game which ranks 8th, and they give up 22.1 assists per contest which puts them in 4th place in the league. They force 12.3 turnovers per game which ranks them 5th in the league. Philadelphia averages 114.6 points per contest this season, which ranks them 6th in the NBA. Their average scoring margin is 2.8 and their shooting percentage is 47% as a team, which has them ranked 10th. Behind the arc they shoot 35% which is good for 13th in the league. They average 47.5 rebounds per game and 26.9 assists per contest, which ranks them 6th and 3rd in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they rank 6th with 15.1 per game.

Useful Team Statistics

The Celtics surrender 104.8 points per contest, which ranks them 4th in the NBA. Their defense allows a 44% shooting percentage and a 33% average from 3-point range, ranking them 4th and 3rd in those defensive statistics. They rank 5th with 22.3 assists allowed per contest, and 19th with 45.5 rebounds surrendered per game. The Celtics are 26th in the NBA in forcing turnovers with 15.7 per game. Boston is 13th in the league with 111.3 points per game this year. They are 20th in the league in shooting at 45%, while their average scoring margin is 6.6. They shoot 36% from 3-point range, which is good for 8th in the NBA. They are 11th in the league in rebounding with 45.8 boards per game and 8th in assists per contest with 25.2. The Celtics are 26th in turnovers per game with 12.9.

Advanced Statistics

The 76ers are 11th in the NBA in offensive rating with 111.8, and their defensive rating of 109 is ranked 12th. In terms of pace they are 7th in the league with 101.3 possessions per 48 minutes, and their effective field goal percentage of 53% is 6th. As a team they are 5th in the NBA in true shooting percentage with 57% and they shoot 3-pointers on 36% of their shots, ranking 14th in the league. Philadelphia is 8th in turnovers, as they turn the ball over an average of 13.1 times per 100 possessions while forcing 10.7 on the defensive end. Their defensive effective field goal percentage for the season currently is 50%, which is 29th in the league.

Advanced Statistics

Boston is 27th in the NBA in turnovers, as they turn the ball over an average of 11.5 times per 100 possessions while forcing 13.9 on the defensive end. Their defensive effective field goal percentage for the season currently is 50%, which is 28th in the league. The Celtics are 13th in the NBA in offensive rating with 111.4, and their defensive rating of 104.8 is ranked 3rd. In terms of pace they are 18th in the league with 99 possessions per 48 minutes, and their effective field goal percentage of 53% is 12th. As a team they are 15th in the NBA in true shooting percentage with 56% and they shoot 3-pointers on 40% of their shots, ranking 3rd in the league.

Who will win tonight's 76ers/Celtics NBA game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take Boston -6

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