76ers vs Celtics Game 7 Odds, Picks, and Predictions: Harden Keeps Diming in Game 7

When the smoke clears Sunday, one team will move on to the Eastern Conference finals while the other will go home crying to their mommies. We’ll find out who after a Game 7 showdown between the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics on Mother’s Day.

The Celtics stretched this conference semifinal series to the limit with a 9-point road victory in Game 6 and are now installed as 6.5-point home chalk for Game 7.

Boston has been anything but invincible inside the TD Garden this postseason, boasting a 3-3 SU and ATS record in Beantown. Philadelphia, on the other hand, is 4-1 SU and 3-1-1 ATS in enemy territory in the NBA Playoffs.

I break down the point spread and Over/Under total for Game 7 and give my best NBA picks and predictions for 76ers at Celtics on May 14.

76ers vs Celtics Game 7 best odds

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76ers vs Celtics Game 7 picks and predictions

A do-or-die Game 7 stage is where the stars come to shine. The Philadelphia 76ers need a monster game from their standouts to avoid blowing another series lead, with the finger pointing at guard James Harden.

Harden’s point production has been up and down all series, with 40+ efforts pushing Philly to the finish line, but outside of those offensive eruptions, Harden has posted modest score lines of 12, 13, 16, and 17 points.

The one aspect of Harden’s game that has been consistent throughout this conference semifinal series is his playmaking. The veteran point guard has recorded at least nine assists in each of the past four games, and that’s where oddsmakers are drawing a line in the sand Sunday.

Harden’s assist prop total is sitting at 8.5 (Over -118) for Game 7 — the same mark he’s surpassed in the past four outings. His player projections range from 8.7 to as high as 10.3 assists for Sunday’s game, with my estimation at 9.6 dimes from “The Beard” in Boston.

Harden still recorded nine assists in the Sixers’ sloppy Game 6 loss, despite the team shooting a dismal 36% from the field and finishing with 86 points — their lowest output of the playoffs and fewest points scored in any game since November 30.

Philadelphia hasn’t been influenced offensively by the Boston crowds, shooting a collective 47% from the floor as well as nearly 36% success from beyond the arc in TD Garden. It won’t be too hard to improve on Game 6’s dreadful shooting, which shouldn’t allow so many Harden passes to go to waste.

My best bet: James Harden Over 8.5 assists (-118) 

76ers vs Celtics Game 7 same-game parlay

James Harden Over 8.5 assists (-130)

Tobias Harris Over 12.5 points (-106)

Malcolm Brogdon Over 3.5 rebounds (-135)

+497 at FanDuel

Harden’s points have come and gone, but his capacity to set up his teammates remains. I have him tabbed for more than 9.5 assists while some models have a ceiling closer to 10.5 dimes. Hopefully, for the sake of our SGP, plenty of those passes find their way to Harris. He was MIA in Game 6 but has played his best ball in Boston and my point projection is at 14.3 for Game 7. On the other side, Brogdon is logging major minutes off the bench and doing it all for the Celtics. He’s targeted for more than four rebounds Sunday, getting him past his total of 3.5 boards.

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

76ers vs Celtics Game 7 spread and Over/Under analysis

Most books opened the Game 7 spread at Boston -7 following the Celtcs’ stealing Game 6 in Philly on Thursday. That spread bounced between -6.5 and -7 the past two days but, as of Sunday morning, the market consensus is Boston -6.5. There are some sharper books dealing a 6-point spread.

Home court hasn’t mattered much in this series, with both teams unphased by enemy territory. The Celtics managed to come away with a road win in Game 6 despite a less-than-perfect effort, which included three quarters of ice-cold shooting from star Jayson Tatum. However, he didn’t stay chilly long, exploding for 16 points in the fourth quarter — with four 3-pointers — to tip the balance toward Boston.

The Sixers’ body language in the final frame of Game 6 showed a tired and defeated team. Philadelphia’s poor shooting performance and dreadful defense in crunch time let a rare opportunity slip away and stirred up past playoff ghosts for head coach Doc Rivers. Now, the pressure is all on the 76ers.

The Celtics went big in Game 6, swapping out guard Derrick White for energetic center Robert Williams in the starting lineup. The bigger Boston lineup matched the 76ers' physicality and was very effective on the boards, with the C’s winning the rebound battle 50-38 while allowing only six offensive boards to Philly — zero to 76ers star center Joel Embiid.

The low-scoring finish to Game 6 had the opening Over/Under for Sunday’s finale hitting the board at 203.5 points, which is a massive downtick from the previous totals in this series (Game 6 has a low O/U of 211 points). That Game 7 number has since slimmed to as low as 200 points as of Sunday morning.

Pace remains on the slower end for this series, with Game 6 jumping to 96.0 and the series overall owning a rating of 93.05. While Game 6 stayed below the closing total of 211 points, it was just the second time the Under has hit in the six games of this conference semifinal.

Game 7 presents an added day off for these teams, with Friday and Saturday off to recharge. The Over is also always in play with the way these clubs can cash in from downtown. While the perimeter shooting was suspect last time out, Boston and Philadelphia sit Top 5 in 3-point percentage.

76ers vs Celtics betting trend to know

The Celtics have topped the total in eight of their last 10 games overall. Find more NBA betting trends for 76ers vs. Celtics.

76ers vs Celtics Game 7 game info

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