The Philadelphia 76ers (9-2) host the Boston Celtics (8-2) on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET at Xfinity Mobile Arena with first place in the Eastern Conference standings on the line. Both teams enter on the back of Sunday victories: the 76ers defeated the Chicago Bulls 127-121, while the Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks 117-97.
The latest odds list Boston as a 1.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 217.5 points. A prop bet on LeBron James to score 16 or more points is priced at -121.
Philadelphia assembled a star-studded roster in the offseason, signing LeBron James and acquiring Jaylen Brown to join Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and V.J. Edgecombe. Early chemistry has been strong, with James and Embiid ceding minutes to the younger core. The 76ers rank second in the NBA in turnover percentage (11.4%) and fifth in defensive rating (108.1).
Boston, meanwhile, moved on from Jaylen Brown in a controversial trade that brought Paul George and a package of draft picks. George, 36, has averaged 20.4 points per game while shooting 42.5% from three-point range as the second option behind Jayson Tatum (27.1 ppg). The Celtics sit in the top six league-wide in both offensive rating (119.6) and defensive rating (108.4).
SportsLine's projection model favors the Celtics to cover the spread in 68% of simulations, citing Boston's second-best net rating (+11.1) through ten games and a defensive clampdown during a three-game winning streak (opponents averaging 93.0 points). The model also projects the two teams to combine for 225 points on average, with the over hitting in 60% of simulations.
