The Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics clash for Game 2 of their first-round NBA Playoff series on Tuesday, April 21 at 7:00 p.m. ET. The Celtics enter as 12.5-point favorites on the spread for the outing airing on Peacock, via PrizePicks.
Game 1 on Sunday was all Celtics, as they led from start to finish in a 32-point blowout victory. Will Boston continue the dominance to take a 2-0 series lead?
Below, we’ll break down our 76ers vs. Celtics prediction and picks for Tuesday’s NBA game, including the spread, over/under, and key player picks for PrizePicks.
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76ers vs. Celtics Prediction, Spread, Over/Under – Tuesday, April 21
PF Jayson Tatum’s first playoff game since rupturing his Achilles tendon a year ago was a rousing success. He scored 10 first-quarter points, had 21 at the half, and finished with 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists in Game 1.
As a team, the Celtics shot 50% from the field and made 16 of 44 3-pointers. All five Boston starters reached double figures, including a game-high 26 points for F Jaylen Brown.
Without former MVP C Joel Embiid available (appendectomy), the Sixers struggled to get much offense going, going an ugly 4-for-23 (17%) from beyond the arc. Only PG Tyrese Maxey, who had 12 of 14 shots contested by the Celtics' defense, was able to break 20 points, as he finished with 21 and 8 rebounds.
The Celtics led in almost every statistic, out-rebounding Philadelphia by three despite making 10 more shots, leading 31-20 in assists, 7-3 in steals, and 3-1 in blocks. The 18-point halftime margin was the largest in a Boston-Philly playoff matchup since 1982.
Can the 76ers bounce back from a horrific Game 1 to earn a split in Boston?
76ers vs. Celtics Spread, Over/Under – Tuesday, April 21
The Celtics enter Tuesday’s game as 12.5-point favorites against the 76ers, returning a 1.08x payout if they win outright, via PrizePicks Team Picks.
Here are the full payouts for 76ers vs. Celtics on PrizePicks
- Spread: Boston Celtics -12.5 (1.69x payout)
- Over/Under: 216.5 (1.85x payout on Over)
- Game Winner Payout: 76ers 6.25x | Celtics 1.08x
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Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics Timeline
Here is the full 76ers vs. Celtics timeline, including the playoff series game-by-game and recent matchup history.
All-Time: Celtics, 275-200
Regular Season: 2-2
Series: Celtics, 1-0
76ers vs. Celtics First Round Timeline, Schedule for 2026 NBA Playoffs
- Game 1: Celtics, 123-91
- Game 2: Tuesday, April 21, 7:00 p.m. ET in Boston
- Game 3: Friday, April 24, 7:00 p.m. ET in Philadelphia
- Game 4: Sunday, April 26, 7:00 p.m. ET in Philadelphia
- Games 5-7 are if necessary
76ers vs. Celtics Prediction on Spread for NBA Playoffs First Round
Here are the key stats and trends behind our 76ers vs. Celtics prediction on the spread for Tuesday, April 21.
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- Philly has failed to cover in five of the last seven games, only covering vs. the Orlando Magic in the Play-In Tournament and the Milwaukee Bucks in the season finale.
- Philadelphia is 17-21 against the spread as an underdog. As an underdog of 10+ points, the 76ers are 2-5 ATS, with both covers being by half a point.
- The Sixers’ offense has struggled shooting, sitting 23rd in field goal percentage (46.2%) and 26th in effective field goal percentage (53.1%). Their eFG% in Game 1 was 41.1%, the worst of all 16 first-round teams.
- Boston has covered in 50 of 83 games, the best mark in the NBA. The team has covered in three straight, seven of the last eight, and 10 of the last 12 games.
- The Celtics are 35-24 ATS as a favorite. The 35 covers are tied with the New York Knicks for the second-most in the league behind the Oklahoma City Thunder (38). They're 14-6 ATS as a double-digit favorite.
- Unlike the 76ers, Boston’s offense is one of the most efficient, boasting a rating of 120.0 (second-best) and a 55.3% eFG% (11th).
76ers vs. Celtics Player Picks, Stats for PrizePicks: 4/21/26
Here are two of the top 76ers vs. Celtics picks to target in the NBA Playoffs on PrizePicks for Tuesday, April 21. Today’s NBA picks for PrizePicks include PG Tyrese Maxey and PF Jayson Tatum.
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76ers PG Tyrese Maxey vs. Celtics Projection: 26.5 Points
- Maxey has failed to hit his points projection in 11 of his last 14 games.
- Since returning from injury on March 28, Maxey has fallen short of his projection in eight of 11 outings.
- Embiid only played in two of those 11 games. Maxey’s PPG mark of 22.5 during Embiid’s recent absence is far below his 28.3 season average.
- The Kentucky product was held to 40% shooting and 1-of-4 from 3-point land in Game 1. In four regular-season games vs. the Celtics, Maxey shot 42% from the field.
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Celtics PF Jayson Tatum vs. 76ers Projection: 39.5 Pts + Rebs + Asts
- Tatum has reached his PRA projection in eight of the last nine games and in 12 of 17 since returning.
- During the aforementioned nine-game stretch, Tatum is averaging 42.9 PRA, 8.1 higher than his career average of 34.8.
- Tatum has scored 23+ points in eight straight contests, his longest stretch since the 2024 postseason.
- In 21 career games vs. the 76ers, Tatum is averaging 21.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists.
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NBA Playoffs Live Picks: 76ers vs. Celtics on PrizePicks for Game 2
Here are some in-game angles to target for your 76ers vs. Celtics live picks tonight.
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- In 122 career postseason games, Tatum is averaging 24.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.9 assists.
- Boston has the third-highest net rating in the first quarter and the second-highest mark for the second frame.
- The 76ers sit dead last in third-quarter net rating (-10.6).
- If there is a silver lining for the 76ers, it's that Boston is 26th in the NBA in fourth-quarter scoring (26.9 PPG).
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Game 1 was dominated by the second-seeded Celtics in every way. Will Game 2 look any different for the 76ers?
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