Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics Game 2 Preview, Picks & Odds for Tuesday, April 21, 2026

By Nate Weitzer | Apr 20, 2026, 8:36pm

The Boston Celtics looked every part of their role as the Eastern Conference favorites with a dominant win over the Philadelphia 76ers in Sunday’s series opener between these rivals. Boston led from the opening tip and cruised to a 123-91 win with Sixers star center Joel Embiid (appendectomy) out.

We’re looking at odds and predictions for Game 2 of this series, scheduled for 7 p.m. ET at Boston’s TD Garden with NBC on the broadcast.

Boston’s shot diet was typically efficient from a team that posted the second-best offensive rating (120) in NBA history this season despite missing Jayson Tatum (Achilles) for the majority of the regular season. Tatum is back to his All-NBA form and posted an incredible line (25 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 turnover) to spark the Celtics on Sunday.

With Embiid out, the Sixers are depending on Paul George and rookie VJ Edgecombe to take some pressure off Tyrese Maxey as the primary scorer. The Celtics had trouble containing Maxey in the regular season, but came out with a great game plan to open this series, hemming the quick guard into some tough shots en route to 21 points on 8-for-20 field goal shooting.

Now the Sixers will try to bounce back in prime time at Boston, looking to salvage some momentum before heading back to Philadelphia for Game 3 (Friday, 7 p.m. ET).

76ers vs. Celtics Betting Analysis

The Celtics were 12.5-point favorites in Game 1 and the spread was never really in doubt after a dominant first-half performance. Philadelphia shot 2-for-16 from 3-point range in the opening half and Boston was only 6-for-18 from deep, but there was a wide gulf in terms of the quality of shots generated by each team.

In the second half, Boston’s depth was on display with Jaylen Brown and Tatum trading turns as the primary creator before guys like Payton Pritchard and Luka Garza provided production off the bench.

Boston opened as a 15-point favorite ahead of Game 2 and the 76ers have actually drawn some early action, moving the spread down to 13.5 points. The total is holding steady at 216.5 points after Game 1 landed on a total of 214 points.

We have a long history of teams bouncing back in Game 2 after a Game 1 loss in the NBA Playoffs. That trend seems to be driving action on the 76ers.

Boston went 32-24 against the spread (ATS) after a win this season, which is good, but not as impressive as an elite 18-8 ATS record (69%) after a loss. However, the Celtics were 13-4 (77%) ATS with a rest advantage, winning by 11 points per game, and they still can benefit from a week of rest and preparation while the 76ers played their way into the bracket.

76ers vs. Celtics Best Bet, Pick & Prediction

Best Bet: Celtics Winning at End of Every Quarter (-134)
Score Prediction: Celtics 116, 76ers 104

The Sixers looked completely overmatched in Game 1 and they didn’t seem to have any sort of cohesion. The Celtics have the most continuity of any team in the Eastern Conference and looked every part of a playoff veteran team. The Celtics should be sharp once again at home, where they are 12-2 over their last 14 playoff games, and both losses came with historical collapses against the New York Knicks.

This version of the Celtics has shown no cracks in the facade and is highly unlikely to blow a second-half lead given the depth and talent on their bench, and the relentless attitude of that unit as instilled by head coach Joe Mazzulla. Philadelphia has limited scoring options beyond Maxey, and a below-average bench. So, as long as Boston can win the first quarter, the Celtics should cruise to another home win.

76ers vs. Celtics Game Odds

76ers vs. Celtics Game Information

Date: Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
Network: Peacock
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Venue: TD Garden – 221.6 ppg; 15-27 O/U
Series Score: Celtics 1-0

76ers vs. Celtics Betting Resources

76ers vs. Celtics Key Players

Philadelphia 76ers

Tyrese Maxey – Last Game: 21 Points, 1 Rebound, 8 Assists
Paul George – Last Game: 17 Points, 4 Rebounds, 1 Assist
VJ Edgecombe – Last Game: 13 Points, 3 Rebounds, 3 Assists

Boston Celtics

Jaylen Brown – Last Game: 26 Points, 4 Rebounds, 3 Assists
Jayson Tatum – Last Game: 25 Points, 11 Rebounds, 7 Assists
Derrick White – Last Game: 10 Points, 3 Rebounds, 6 Assists

Nate Weitzer

Nate Weitzer has been covering sports betting and daily fantasy sports at Catena Media for nearly a decade, focusing primarily on NBA and NFL content. He is the co-host of the NBA and NFL Coast 2 Coast show on the Lineups YouTube channel, where he provides daily picks and prop bets alongside co-host Josh Lander. He also runs the NFL premium content channel at LandYourBets.com. In addition to his duties at Catena, Weitzer is a high school sports reporter for The Boston Globe and a freelance writer for other outlets, covering stories ranging from high school championships to ski mountaineering races. He graduated from Boston University’s MS in Sports Journalism program in 2012.