nba

76ers vs. Celtics predictions: Odds, recent stats, trends and best bets for March 1

Sunday Night Basketball on NBC/Peacock is in Boston this week as Jaylen Brown and the Celtics (39-20) host Tyrese Maxey and the Philadelphia 76ers (33-26).

For the past couple of weeks, the question has been “Will he or won’t he?” Will Jayson Tatum take the court for the Celtics Sunday against the 76ers? While Tatum is making miraculous progress rehabbing his torn Achilles, the All-NBA former Duke Blue Devil is not yet ready to help the Celtics and their run for another championship.

Without Tatum, Boston has enjoyed surprising success this season. The leaders in the Atlantic Division, the Celtics currently hold the second seed overall in the Eastern Conference. Sitting sixth in the East, the Sixers have won three straight to pull to within one game of the fifth place Toronto Raptors.

The Celtics have won five of their last six including an historic 148-111 rout of the Brooklyn Nets Friday night. Boston recorded an 80.8% effective field goal percentage (eFG%) in the game, setting a new record for the highest in NBA history. This historic shooting performance by the Celtics included going 52-of-78 (66.7%) from the field and 22-of-34 (64.7%) from three-point range.

At the foundation of Philly’s success this season has been the All-NBA caliber season of Tyrese Maxey and the resurgence of Joel Embiid. The 76ers’ ability to keep Embiid healthy the rest of the regular season will determine how deep a run they can make this Spring. To that end, the former MVP is not expected to play Sunday due to an oblique issue.

This is the fourth of four regular season meetings between these rivals. Philadelphia has taken two of the first three.

Lets take a closer look at tonight’s matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

After 24 years, the NBA is back on NBC and Peacock, combining the nostalgia of an iconic era with the innovative future of basketball coverage. The NBA on NBC YouTube channel delivers fans must-see highlights, analysis, and exclusive and unique content. 

Game Details and How to Watch Live: 76ers at Celtics

  • Date: Sunday, March 1, 2026
  • Time: 8PM EST
  • Site: TD Garden
  • City: Boston, MA
  • Network/Streaming: NBC/Peacock

Rotoworld has you covered with all the latest NBA Player News for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Game Odds: 76ers at Celtics

The latest odds as of Saturday Night courtesy of DraftKings:

  • Moneyline: Philadelphia 76ers (+270), Boston Celtics (-340)
  • Spread: Celtics -8.5
  • Total: 221.5 points

This game opened Celtics -4.5 with the Total set at 223.5.

Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule! 

Expected Starting Lineups: 76ers at Celtics

Philadelphia 76ers

  • PG Tyrese Maxey
  • SG VJ Edgecombe
  • SF Dominick Barlow
  • PF Andre Drummond
  • C Kelly Oubre Jr.

Boston Celtics

  • PG Derrick White
  • SG Baylor Scheierman
  • SF Jaylen Brown
  • PF Sam Hauser
  • C Neemias Queta

Injury Report: 76ers at Celtics

Philadelphia 76ers

  • Joel Embiid (oblique) has been ruled OUT of Sunday’s game
  • Johni Broome (knee) has been ruled OUT of Sunday’s game
  • Paul George (suspension) has been ruled OUT of Sunday’s game

Boston Celtics

  • Jayson Tatum (Achilles) has been ruled OUT for Sunday’s game
  • Baylor Scheierman (thumb) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game

Important stats, trends and insights: 76ers at Celtics

  • The Celtics are 19-9 at home this season
  • The 76ers are 17-11 on the road this season
  • The Celtics are 34-25 ATS this season / 14-14 at home
  • The 76ers are 33-26 ATS this season / 19-9 on the road (No. 1 in the NBA)
  • The OVER has cashed in 32 of the 76ers’ 59 games this season (32-27)
  • The OVER has cashed in a league-low 22 of the Celtics’ 59 games this season (22-37)
  • IN his last 8 games, Jaylen Brown is averaging 27.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game
  • In 3 games against Philadelphia this season, Brown is averaging 27 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists per game
  • In 3 games against Boston this season, Tyrese Maxey is averaging 29 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game
  • These two teams have not met since November 11th but have played 3 times with the 76ers winning 2 of the 3 games.

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
 
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for tonight’s 76ers and Celtics’ game:

  • Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline
  • Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the 76ers +8.5 ATS
  • Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total OVER 221.5

Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar! 

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff: 

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper) 
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) 
  • Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick) 

Read full story at Yahoo Sport →