Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics
Monday, 5/21/12, 7:00 PM EST, TV: TNT
Opening Point Spread: Boston -5.5
Current Betting Line: Boston -5.5
Opening Total: 174
Current Total: 173.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Philadelphia may head back to the Wells Fargo Center facing elimination in Game 6 if this series holds true to form, as the two teams have alternated wins and losses over the first four games. The Sixers are coming off a 92-83 win over the Celtics as two-point home favorites in Game 4, as they managed to overcome an 18-point, third-quarter deficit. “They hit us early and put us in a bad position,” commented 76ers guard Jrue Holiday. “We’ve always been the underdogs, all we can do is fight.” Philadelphia is 4-5 ATS as a road underdog of 3.5 to 6 points, while the “under” is 5-4 in those contests.
The 76ers are averaging 87.2 points per game during the postseason after averaging 93.6 points per game during the regular season. Philadelphia is 4-1 when being held under 90 points during the 2012 NBA playoffs, which is a surprise due to the team’s 2-18 mark when falling short of that number during the regular season. Don’t expect a scoring outburst in Game 5, with the franchise going over the century mark just five times in its past 53 postseason contests.
Boston may get caught thinking about what could have been in this contest, as the aging roster missed out the opportunity to potentially close this series on Monday night. “It’s a swing game, but it’s a swing game for both teams,” commented Celtics head coach Doc Rivers. His aging roster is dealing with numerous nagging injuries, including Ray Allen with bone spurs in his ankle and Paul Pierce nursing a knee injury. Boston is 20-25 ATS as a favorite this season, including a 6-6 ATS mark when laying 3.5 to 6 points.
The Celtics will need a major performance from point guard Rajon Rondo in order to head back to the City of Brotherly love with a 3-2 advantage, as he’s averaging 16.0 points and 12.9 assists in the playoffs. He managed to score 15 points and dish out 15 assists in the Game 4 setback, but will need to orchestrate the offense with more efficiency in half-court sets.
Bettors will likely back the 76ers due to their 7-3 ATS record on the road, while the Celtics are 4-17 ATS in their last 21 playoff games as a favorite of 5.0 to 10.5 points.
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