James Harden is on fire, and so are the 76ers, who lead 1-0 in the series against the Boston Celtics, stealing the home-court edge from the last year’s NBA Finalists.
Before Betting on the 76ers vs. Celtics Game 2
James Harden was the MVP once. Arguably the best offensive player in the previous decade and the one who would stuff 40+ points on anyone. Well, some of you forgot that, and the Beard had to remind about that. His 45 points were crowned with a long dagger which sealed the Sixers’ 119-115 victory.
He made seven threes and was 17-for-30 from the field. Tyrese Maxey added 26, and Tobias Harris 18. De’Anthony Melton was excellent off the bench, with 17 buckets and five threes. The Sixers played without Embiid, and that greatly disturbed the Celtics’ defensive game plan.
Boston felt James Harden’s rage, and even though the Cs had more than 58% FG, they couldn’t win. Joe Mazzulla’s unit used Embiid’s absence, getting closer to the basket and outrebounding the rivals, yet his players were poor from downtown, with only ten threes in 26 tires. Meanwhile, the Sixers had 17 three-pointers.
Jayson Tatum had 39 buckets and 11 boards, while Jaylen Brown scored 23. Malcolm Brogdon added 20 off the bench. However, all the others were mediocre. The Celtics’ defense wasn’t good enough to at least slow down Harden, but to be honest, the question is whether that was possible on Monday night.
76ers vs. Celtics Game 2 Offshore Betting Odds
| Offshore Sportsbook | Moneyline | Total | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|
| BetOnline | 76ers (4.75) | Celtics (1.22) | 218 | 76ers +9 (1.91) | Celtics -9 (1.91) |
| Bovada | 76ers (4.45) | Celtics (1.21) | 218 | 76ers +9.5 (1.91) | Celtics -9.5 (1.91) |
| BetUS | 76ers (4.75) | Celtics (1.22) | 218 | 76ers +9 (1.91) | Celtics -9 (1.91) |
| SportsBetting.ag | 76ers (4.75) | Celtics (1.22) | 218 | 76ers +9 (1.91) | Celtics -9 (1.91) |
| Pinnacle | 76ers (4.87) | Celtics (1.21) | 218 | 76ers +9.5 (2.00) | Celtics -9.5 (1.91) |
| MyBookie | 76ers (4.45) | Celtics (1.21) | 218.5 | 76ers +9.5 (1.91) | Celtics -9.5 (1.91) |
Nobody knows what’s going on with Embiid, but even if he plays, we don’t think the Cs can lose twice at the TD Garden. Also, we expect some adjustments from Mazzulla, because he is a clever head coach and one of the most talented in the NBA.
- Pick: Boston Celtics win
