Philadelphia 76ers vs Boston Celtics Prediction, 4/28/2026 Preview and Pick

Game: Philadelphia 76ers vs Boston Celtics

Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2026

Location: TD Garden in Boston, MA

TV: ESPN

Odds/Point Spread: Philadelphia (+11.5)

The Philadelphia 76ers (45-37) are hitting the road to TD Garden on Tuesday where they will take on the Boston Celtics (56-26) in Game 5 of their 1st round series. Boston leads 3-1. Boston is 11.5-point favorites. The over/under has been set at 214.

The 76ers walked away from Game 4 with a loss by a score of 128-96. In relation to fouls, the 76ers ended up finishing with 21 while the Celtics totaled 21 fouls. They converted 24 of their 53 tries from beyond the arc. Boston finished 71.4% at the free throw line by knocking down 20 of their 28 attempts. Moreover, Boston snagged 51 boards (14 offensive, 37 defensive) and got 7 blocked shots. Boston recorded 28 assists and had 5 steals in the game. When it comes to defense, Philadelphia let their opponent shoot 48.3% from the floor on 42 out of 87 shooting. They also distributed 25 assists in this contest while creating 13 turnovers and having 6 steals. Regarding rebounding, they collected 30 with 6 of them being on the offensive end. When they shot from the free throw line, the 76ers made 21 of their 24 shots for a percentage of 87.5%. Philadelphia ended having earned a 41.3% field goal percentage (33 of 80) and made 9 out of their 30 shots from 3-point land.

Joel Embiid is a guy who was a factor for this contest. He finished with 26 points on 9 out of 21 shooting. He played 34 mins played and also pulled down 10 rebounds. Embiid finished 42.9% from the floor and distributed 6 dimes.

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Philadelphia heads into this one with a mark of 45-37 so far this season. They average 115.9 pts per game (14th in basketball) while connecting on 46.2% from the floor. The 76ers are connecting on 34.9% on shots from distance (1,011 of 2,896) and 80.9% from the charity stripe. As a unit, Philadelphia is pulling down 43.6 rebounds per game and is sitting with 2,017 assists for the year, which ranks 29th in the league in terms of passing the ball. They cough up possession 13.6 times per contest and as a unit they are committing 20.3 personal fouls on a nightly basis.

On the defensive end of the court, the 76ers are forcing 15.4 turnovers every game and they draw 19.9 fouls. They rank 22nd in the league in giving up assists to their opponents with 2,260 conceded this season. The 76ers defense is allowing a field goal percentage of 46.7% (3,430 of 7,348) and they surrender 45.3 boards per game as a basketball team. They are relinquishing 35.3% from beyond the arc and they are 19th in basketball in points per game allowed (116.1).

The Celtics dominated every aspect of Game 4. The Celtics collected 37 defensive boards and 14 offensive rebounds totaling 51 for the matchup. They gave up possession of the ball 13 times, while getting 5 steals in the game. The 76ers were called for 21 fouls in the game which got the Celtics to the free throw line for a total of 28 attempts. They were able to bury 20 of the free throws for a clip of 71.4%. Concerning shooting from distance, Boston made 24 of 53 tries (45.3%). When the final whistle blew, the Celtics shot 42 out of 87 from the floor which had them shooting 48.3%. The Celtics allowed the 76ers to convert 33 of their 80 tries from the field which gave them a rate of 41.3% in this game. They shot 30.0% from distance by going 9 out of 30 and finished the contest at 21 of 24 at the free throw line (87.5%). When it comes to attacking the glass, Boston allowed Philadelphia to get 30 in all (6 offensive).

Payton Pritchard was important for the Celtics in this contest. He converted 12 of 21 for the game for a field goal rate of 57.1%, and had 4 rebounds. Pritchard scored 32 points in his 35 minutes on the court and had 5 assists for the game.

Boston has a mark of 56-26 this year. The Celtics are responsible for committing 19.0 fouls per contest and they shoot 80.7% from the charity stripe. They are assisting teammates 24.6 times per contest (27th in the NBA) and they are losing possession via turnover 12.4 times per contest. Boston has totaled 9,418 pts on the year (114.9 per contest) and they grab 46.4 rebounds per contest. In terms of offensive execution, the Celtics are connecting on 46.7% from the field, which ranks 16th in the league.

The Celtics on the defensive end are ranked 1st in basketball in points given up per game with 107.2. They are able to force 12.4 turnovers on a nightly basis and have let teams shoot 44.2% from the floor (2nd in the NBA). The Boston defense surrenders 35.8% on shots from 3-point land (1,149 of 3,208) and their opponents are making 77.5% of their shots from the free throw line. They have given up 24.7 assists and 41.2 boards per game, ranking them 4th and 6th in the league.

Who will win tonight's NBA game against the spread?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Philadelphia (+11.5)

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