Philadelphia 76ers vs Boston Celtics Prediction 4/21/2026 Today’s NBA Picks

The Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics duke it out in Game 2 at the TD Garden on Tuesday night. Here’s a Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics Prediction. This article will include a Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics Pick.

Philadelphia 76ers Betting Preview 

The Philadelphia 76ers were hoping to spring a major upset in Game 1, but they got off to a slow start and never looked likely in a 123-91 defeat last night. Tyrese Maxey led the team in scoring with 21 points and eight assists; Paul George added 17 points, while VJ Edgecombe chipped in with 13 points.

As a team, the 76ers shot 39 percent from the field and a miserable four of 23 from the 3-point line as they got off to a terrible start and scored just 18 points in the first quarter to trail by 18 points at halftime and things only got worse in the second half as the 76ers just couldn’t stop the bleeding. The 76ers got next to nothing from their reserves as no bench player scored more than seven points but it was the 3-point shooting that really hurt them from the start. 

Boston Celtics Betting Preview 

Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics were heading into the NBA Playoffs with plenty of confidence and they sure looked good in their dominant win over the 76ers in Game 1. Jaylen Brown led the team with 26 points on 11 of 21 shooting; Jayson Tatum tallied 25 points with 11 rebounds and seven assists, while Payton Pritchard chipped in with 12 points and six assists off the bench.

As a team, the Celtics shot a healthy 50 percent from the field and 16 of 44 from the 3-point line, but this win was more about their defense, as they were always in control after restricting the 76ers to just 18 points in the first quarter. The Celtics were good enough to capitalize on a strong start with Tatum scoring 21 of his 25 points in the first half and they just kept their foot on the gas to keep building on the lead right to the final buzzer. 

Why the Boston Celtics will win

• The Celtics have won each of their last seven home games.
• The 76ers have lost eight of their last nine games against Celtics teams that held a winning record.
• The Celtics have covered the spread in each of their last seven games at TD Garden.
• The 76ers have failed to cover the spread in each of their last four road games.

Why the Philadelphia 76ers will win

• The 76ers have won each of their last five road games against Atlantic Division opponents following a loss.
• The Celtics have lost two of their last three playoff games as favorites against Atlantic Division opponents following a win.
• The 76ers have covered the spread in each of their last four Eastern Conference First Round games following a loss.
• The Celtics have failed to cover the spread in three of their last four playoff games against Atlantic Division opponents following a win.

Total Points Facts

• Nine of the 76ers’ last 10 games as underdogs have gone UNDER the total points line.
• Thirteen of the Celtics’ last 15 home games against Eastern Conference opponents have gone UNDER the total points line.

Boston Celtics Player Facts

• Derrick White ranks 5th amongst qualified players for FT% (90.2%) this season.
• Payton Pritchard is one of only eight players to have scored 35+ points off the bench in a game this season.

Philadelphia 76ers Player Facts

• Kelly Oubre Jr. has recorded 3+ steals in three consecutive appearances—the equal-longest active streak of any player in the league.
• Adem Bona ranks 9th amongst qualified players for blocks per 36 minutes (2.4) this season.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Celtics rank 1st in the league for turnovers per game this season (12.4).
• The Celtics rank 30th in the league for free throw attempts per game this season (18.7).
• The 76ers rank 29th in the league for Q3 win percentage this season (36.6%).
• The 76ers rank 3rd in the league for opponent steals per game this season (7.3).

Philadelphia 76ers vs Boston Celtics Prediction

The 76ers are still shorthanded with Joel Embiid ruled out again, while the Celtics expect to have a full squad once again. The 76ers will be disappointed with their effort in the series opener, as they really didn’t give themselves a chance after such a poor start and they couldn’t even go on a run once the game went into garbage time. There’s always a chance of a letdown performance after such an easy win, but I just don’t think the 76ers have enough firepower to challenge the Celtics in their own building.

The Celtics are much heavier favorites for Game 2 and I think it’s fully warranted for this matchup, as the 76ers need a monster game from George or Maxey to even stand a chance of hanging in this one. The line is hefty, but I will stick with the Celtics to stay hot with another win and cover to take a 2-0 series lead.

Peter Tran's Pick: Boston -13.5