In the first round of the 2025-26 NBA Playoffs, the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers clash in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics were scorching hot towards the end of the regular season, and Jayson Tatum’s return to action makes this a team that could flirt with contention. However, the Sixers are an extremely talented group, and a potential Joel Embiid return could make things interesting. Will we see him? Keep reading for a preview and prediction for this series. And make sure you check out our NBA Playoffs Betting Guide, which will serve as the hub for all of our postseason betting content!

Celtics vs. Sixers Series Odds

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(Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook as of Wednesday, April 15 at 2:30 pm ET)

Series Winner: Celtics -900, 76ers +600

Series Spread: Celtics -2.5 Games (-175), 76ers +2.5 Games (+150)

Series Total: Over 5.5 Games (+160), Under 5.5 Games (-190)

Celtics vs. Sixers Series Prediction

Much like the Western Conference series between the Lakers and Rockets, this series requires us to do some guessing. Will Embiid, who underwent an appendectomy on April 9, be available at any point in this series? Even the most optimistic timelines suggest Embiid will miss three-ish weeks. Well, looking at the series schedule, that would likely mean a Game 6 return, as that game would be played on April 30. However, just playing a Game 6 would mean Philadelphia winning two games. If you think the Sixers can do that, you can get some enticing odds by playing Philadelphia +2.5 Games or Over 5.5 Games.

I try to make an official pick for every single series playoff series, as I generally can find a little something I like and I know readers/subscribers like to see as much action as possible. However, this is the only series I’m sitting out completely. My gut tells me the 76ers will find a way to make this competitive, as this team still has plenty of talent, they know how to win games without Embiid, and it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility that the big man returns at some point. I’m also relatively down on the Celtics, believing they’re on par with the Cavaliers, Knicks, and Pistons while the market says they’re much better. But I’m not willing to actually throw anything on this series.

The reason I’m a little down on Boston is that the team lost so much from the group that won a title two years ago. The Celtics have done a great job of drafting and developing, but they didn’t actually go out and add many pieces to replace Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet. Those were four guys that could legitimately give you good minutes on any given night, contributing on both ends of the floor and doing a nice job of fitting around Tatum and Brown. Will some of the young pieces that have stepped up be able to do that?

I just have serious questions about Baylor Scheierman’s ability to perform in a playoff setting, I still think the Celtics center position is a bit of a mess, and Tatum isn’t the player he was two years ago. That said, while this team plays the right way, has a great coach in Joe Mazzulla, and generally feels more connected than the other teams in the Eastern Conference, I don’t see this as an unbeatable group.

The Sixers also have some successful non-Embiid lineups. In fact, without Embiid on the floor, the trio of Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and Paul George outscores opponents by 5.1 points per 100 possessions. That means Nick Nurse has some buttons to press to put some productive lineups out there.

Maxey is also the type of player that has proven to be explosive enough to steal games. Of course, last year was a trying season, as the star guard essentially had to go out and try to win every game himself. However, having Edgecombe as a running mate this year has made things a lot easier on him, and George has also played extremely well after a slow start to the year. This team just has a lot of perimeter firepower, and that makes them tough to completely rule out.

LEAN: Over 5.5 Games (+160)

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