76ers vs Celtics Picks and Predictions: Back Boston At Home Amid Dually Decimated Rosters

Two struggling Eastern Conference squads will tangle tonight when the Philadelphia 76ers visit the Boston Celtics.

Both teams are ravaged by injury and illness, but it's the Celtics, who have lost four of their last six, opening as slim NBA betting home favorite against the Sixers, who have dropped four of their last five.

Here are our best free NBA picks and predictions for 76ers vs. Celtics on Monday, December 20.

76ers vs Celtics odds

Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.

This line hit the board at Boston -3, with the Over/Under set at 213.5.

Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until tip-off and be sure to check out the full NBA odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.

76ers vs Celtics predictions

• Prediction: Celtics -3 (-110)
• Prediction: Under 213 (-110)
• Best bet: 76ers team total Under 105.5 (-115)

Predictions made on 12/20/2021 at 11:30 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.

76ers vs Celtics game info

• Location: TD Garden, Boston, MA
• Date: Monday, December 20, 2021
• Tip-off: 7:30 p.m. ET
• TV: NBCS-BOS, NBCS-PH

76ers vs Celtics betting preview

Injuries

76ers: Joel Embiid C (GTD), Danny Green G (GTD), Tyrese Maxey G (GTD), Furkan Korkmaz G (GTD), Andre Drummond C (Out), Shake Milton G (Out), Georges Niang F (Out), Ben Simmons G (Out).
Celtics: Jayson Tatum F (GTD), Dennis Schroder G (GTD), Romeo Langford G (GTD), Sam Hauser F (GTD), Grant Williams F (Out), Josh Richardson G (Out), Jabari Parker F (Out), Al Horford C (Out), Juancho Hernangomez C (Out).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.

Betting trend to know

The Under is 7-3 in the last 10 head-to-head meetings. Find more NBA betting trends for 76ers vs. Celtics.

76ers vs Celtics picks and predictions

Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.

Spread analysis

'Who's actually playing tonight?' is arguably the most popular question in sports right now (other than 'Are they playing?'), and that query is prominent for this contest as well.

The 76ers have three key rotation players — Andre Drummond, Shake Milton, and Georges Niang — sidelined due to COVID, while a trio of key backcourt pieces are game-time decisions... as well as superstar Joel Embiid.

Philadelphia had to postpone its game yesterday against New Orleans as the combination of injury and illness left it unable to find eight available players to take the court. Considering tonight's game is expected to be a go, either some of the game-time decisions (Embiid, Danny Green, Tyrese Maxey, Furkan Korkmaz) will be able to suit up (at least than 100%) or the Sixers will sign some players from the G-League to fill in (such as Myles Powell, who signed this morning).

Considering the Sixers have lost three straight and four of their last five, they seem like a juicy opponent for the Celtics, who are also dealing with a ravaged roster... but not quite as bad.

Boston's frontcourt depth has been decimated by COVID and Jayson Tatum, Dennis Schroeder, and Romeo Langford are game-time decisions. The Celtics have lost four of their last six overall, but they have pulled out wins in two of their most three recent games.

There's still a lot up in the air, but the best-case scenario is Philly rolls with Tobias Harris, Seth Curry, a hobbled Embiid, and a bunch of filler — not great for a team averaging 98 points per game over its last five. Boston will have star Jaylen Brown plus key starters Robert Williams III and Marcus Smart, with a chance that Tatum (ankle) and Schroeder (non-COVID illness) can suit up too.

The Celtics have been playing slightly better, they're at home, and (most importantly right now) they appear healthier.

Prediction: Boston -3 (-110)

Over/Under analysis

As mentioned above, the Sixers are averaging fewer than 100 points per contest over their last five, and now have absolutely zero depth (and minimal top-end talent) available to play tonight. Philly has still, however, been able to contain opposing defenses for the most part, giving up 106.7 ppg in December (13th in the league).

On the flip side, Boston's offense is scoring at Top-10 rate this month but all the missing bodies will certainly mean a slight decline in output is likely, and defensively the Cs are giving up just 107.3 ppg in the last month of the year.

With a lack of talent (and bodies overall), we'd expect both teams to play a little bit slower and use more clock per possession (and keep scoring chances at a minimum).

Tonight's total is 213. With the Sixers generally struggling to top 100 points — plus the Celtics missing key pieces — we're asking a lot from these offenses tonight.

Prediction: Under 213 (-110)

Best bet

We just spent the above two paragraphs railing on the 76ers inability to score... so it should be pretty obvious that we're going to hammer the Under on their team total tonight.

To recap: Philly is averaging 98 ppg over its last five games, Boston's defense has been playing well this month, and the Sixers roster is ravaged so that there's a chance they trot out Tobias Harris, Seth Curry, and a bunch of guys that the NBA world didn't know existed until today.

Yes, there is a chance that Embiid, Green, Korkmaz, and Maxey suit up, but if they were unable to go yesterday, that makes us less-than-confident that they'll all play tonight — nor would they be near fully healthy.

With a short bench and lacking quality scoring depth, expect the Sixers to play slow and steady... and not top 100 points — let alone their point total tonight.

Pick: 76ers team total Under 105.5 (-115)

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