The Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers clash for Game 3 of their first-round NBA Playoff series on Friday, April 24 at 7:00 p.m. ET on Prime Video. The Celtics enter as 7.5-point favorites on the spread, via PrizePicks.
After getting blown out in Game 1, the 76ers reversed the script on Tuesday, taking Game 2 in Boston to head home tied 1-1. Will Boston rebound and take back home-court advantage, or will the 76ers gain control of the series at home?
Below, we’ll break down our Celtics vs. 76ers prediction and picks for Friday’s NBA game, including the spread, over/under, and key player picks for PrizePicks.
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Celtics vs. 76ers Prediction, Spread, Over/Under – Friday, April 24
It’s been a tale of two games so far in this series. After shooting 39% from the field and making 4 of 23 3-pointers in Game 1, the 76ers went 19-of-39 (49%) from deep in Game 2, shooting 48% from the field in a 111-97 upset win.
SG VJ Edgecombe had 30 points and 10 rebounds, becoming the first rookie with a 30-10 playoff game since Tim Duncan in 1998. PG Tyrese Maxey had 29, and SF Paul George had 19.
The defense flipped the script as well, only allowing forwards Jaylen Brown (36) and Jayson Tatum (19) into double figures. All five Boston starters reached 10+ points in the first matchup.
The Celtics were sloppy in the series’ second game, committing 13 turnovers that led to 16 points. After falling behind late in the first half, they could only get within two before an 11-0 76ers run put the game away.
Now, the 76ers can advance by just winning their three home games. Could the Celtics rebound from a poor Game 2?
Celtics vs. 76ers Spread, Over/Under – Friday, April 24
The Celtics enter Friday's game as 7.5-point favorites against the 76ers, returning a 1.31x payout if they win outright, via PrizePicks Team Picks.
Here are the full payouts for Celtics vs. 76ers on PrizePicks
- Spread: Boston Celtics -7.5 (1.85x payout)
- Over/Under: 215.5 (1.85x payout on Over)
- Game Winner Payout: 76ers 3.22x | Celtics 1.31x
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Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers Timeline
Here is the full Celtics vs. 76ers timeline, including the playoff series game-by-game and recent matchup history.
All-Time: Celtics, 275-201
Regular Season: Tied 2-2
Series: Tied, 1-1
Celtics vs. 76ers First Round Timeline, Schedule for 2026 NBA Playoffs
- Game 1: Celtics, 123-91
- Game 2: 76ers, 111-97
- Game 3: Friday, April 24, 7:00 p.m. ET in Philadelphia
- Game 4: Sunday, April 26, 7:00 p.m. ET in Philadelphia
- Game 5: Tuesday, April 28, 7:00 p.m. ET in Boston
- Games 6-7 are if necessary
Celtics vs. 76ers Prediction on Spread for NBA Playoffs First Round
Here are the key stats and trends behind our Celtics vs. 76ers prediction on the spread for Friday, April 24.
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- The 76ers have covered more times than not, covering in 45 of 85 games (52.9%) against the spread.
- Philly covered and won outright as a 12.5-point underdog on Tuesday, although it was just the team’s third cover in the last eight games.
- Philadelphia is 18-21 ATS as an underdog, including a 6-8 mark at home.
- The Sixers’ offense has struggled shooting, sitting 23rd in field goal percentage (46.2%) and 26th in effective field goal percentage (53.1%). Through two postseason games, they're 11th in FG% (43.3%), eFG% (49.7%), and offensive rating (109.2)
- Boston has covered in 50 of 84 games, tied for the best mark in the NBA. The Celtics have covered in three of the last four and seven of the last nine.
- The Celtics are 35-25 ATS as a favorite, the second-most covers in the sport. As a road favorite, Boston has 16 wins, also the second most.
- Unlike the 76ers, Boston’s offense is one of the most efficient, owning a rating of 120.0 (second) and an eFG% of 55.3% (11th). This playoffs, the Celtics are third (117.6) and eighth (52.8%) in those respective categories.
Celtics vs. 76ers Picks, Stats for PrizePicks: 4/24/26
Here are top Celtics vs. 76ers picks to target in the NBA Playoffs on PrizePicks for Friday, April 24. 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: 25.5 Points
- Maxey hasn't reached his points projection in 11 of his last 15 games, though he did hit it in Game 2 with 29 points.
- Since returning from injury on March 28, Maxey has failed to hit his points projection in eight of 12 opportunities.
- Maxey’s PPG average of 23.1 during C Joel Embiid’s recent injury absence is far below his 28.3 season average.
- Through two postseason games, the Kentucky product is only shooting 40% from the field and 37.5% on 3-pointers. In four regular-season meetings with Boston, he 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 nine of the last 10 games and in 13 of 18 games since debuting this season.
- During the aforementioned 10-game stretch, Tatum is averaging 42.8 PRA, 8 points higher than his career mark of 34.8.
- Of the last 13 games, Tatum has 9+ rebounds in 11 of them and 7+ assists in eight of his last 10. He has 17 rebound chances per game this series, seventh-most in the postseason.
- In 29 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: Celtics vs. 76ers on PrizePicks for Eastern Conference First Round Game 3
Here are some in-game angles to target for your Celtics vs. 76ers live picks tonight.
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- In 123 career postseason games, Tatum posts 24.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game.
- Philadelphia averages only 27.2 PPG in the third quarter, 29th of 30 NBA teams.
- The Celtics are 25th in the NBA in fourth-quarter scoring (26.8 PPG). In the two games in this series, Boston has scored 20 and 29 in the final period.
- Boston was sixth in the league in average second-half scoring margin during the regular season at +2.3.
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Game 1 was dominated by the second-seeded Celtics, while Game 2 went the other way. Will Game 3 set the tone for the rest of the series?
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