Boston Celtics at Philadelphia 76ers
Wednesday, 5/16/12, 7:00 PM EST, TV: TNT
Opening Point Spread: Philadelphia -2.5
Current Betting Line: Philadelphia -2
Opening Total: 172.5
Current Total: 172
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Boston was unable to maintain its homecourt advantage in its best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Philadelphia 76ers, dropping an 82-81 decision as 4.5-point favorites in Game 2 on Monday night. “I don’t like the fact that we took almost three quarters to play the right way,” commented Celtics head coach Doc Rivers, outscoring the Sixers by seven points in the final 12 minutes and still losing by a point. The franchise lost two of three road games to the Atlanta Hawks in its first-round series. Boston is 3-1 ATS as a road underdog of three points or less this season.
The Celtics will need center Kevin Garnett to turn back the clock again, as he scored just 14 points in defeat, which directly followed a 28-point performance in a Game 1 victory. He leads the team in averaging 19.5 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. Point guard Rajon Rondo is still the most important player on the offensive end, averaging 12.7 assists per game, as he needs to attack the basket and create opportunities for other players to score.
Philadelphia returns to the Wells Fargo Center with plenty of confidence, considering it split in Boston and won all three home games against the Chicago Bulls in the first round. “We like playing against Boston,” commented 76ers point guard Jrue Holiday. “We think we match up well against them.” He is averaging a team-high 16.9 points, which is up from his 13.5-point average during the regular season. Philadelphia is 7-9 ATS as a home favorite of three points or less over the last two-plus campaigns, with the “under” being 11-5 in that situation.
The 76ers will need to remain focused after picking up their first playoff win in Boston since 1982, which means their defensive intensity must continue. Philadelphia hasn’t allowed more than 92 points over the past seven games since surrendering 103 to the Bulls in Game 1 of the previous round. The team isn’t going to win this series on the offensive end, considering it hasn’t recorded more assists than its opponent in any of the eight games during the 2012 NBA playoffs.
Bettors will likely back the Celtics due to their 8-2-1 ATS mark as an underdog of 4.5 or fewer points, while the 76ers are 2-6 ATS as a favorite in that point range.
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