The Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics will square off in a Game 3 matchup tonight, with each side notching a win to this point. Tonight will mark the first game of the series in Philadelphia, and both teams should feel relatively solid about where they stand. Joel Embiid has been upgraded to doubtful ahead of tonight’s game, and his status will be one to monitor throughout the day. It is only 15 days since his emergency appendicitis surgery, but he was ruled out well ahead of time in the opening two games.

The Celtics are 7.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook for the Game 3 matchup. The 76ers are +245 underdogs, with the game total set at 215.5

You can check out a full preview and prediction for the matchup on DraftKings Network. But for now, let’s dive into the top player prop bets for the Game 3 matchup of the Eastern Conference clash.

76ers vs. Celtics Best Prop Bets

VJ Edgecombe Over 15.5 Points (-112)

The Game 2 victory by the Sixers was a bit of an arrival for VJ Edgecombe on the national stage. The rookie scored a team-high 30 points, adding 10 rebounds, two assists, and knocking down six three-pointers. He looked like the best player on the floor, and this performance only reinforced how fearless he has looked all season.

Across the regular season, the Baylor product posted averages of 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. He played a variety of roles as the more notable stars missed time, and scored over 15.5 points in 34 of his 75 games played. This includes three of the four regular season games against the Celtics, with his debut game in the NBA coming with 34 points against this same Boston team.

He was held to just 13 points in the blowout Game 1 loss. But this involved shooting an uncharacteristic 6-for-16 from the field and missing all five of his three-point attempts. But the Sixers have found a positive point of attack with Edgecombe’s athleticism being a clear advantage. They have made it a priority to push the pace and get out in transition with Edgecombe at the heart of this effort. His combination of speed and athleticism creates a matchup problem for this Celtics team, and expect the Sixers to lean on this frequently. Back Edgecombe to feed off the home crowd and score over 15.5 points for his second consecutive postseason game and the fifth time against the Celtics this year.

Sam Hauser Over 2.5 Made Three-Pointers (-106)

Three-point production has been the story in this series thus far. In the opening matchup between these two sides, the Celtics shot an impressive 16-for-44 (36%) from beyond the three-point arc while limiting the 76ers to 4-for-23 (17%) en route to a blowout win. It was a different story in Game 2, as the Sixers shot 19-for-39 (49%) from deep while the Celtics were just 13-for-50 (26%) on their long-range shots. But don’t expect the Celtics to abandon their perimeter-oriented attack. They finished the regular season ranked fourth in three-point attempts per game and third in perimeter makes per contest.

Sam Hauser will be a key part of this effort for Boston. The 6-foot-7 sniper finished the regular season with averages of 9.2 points and 3.8 rebounds. Hauser is shooting 39.3% from beyond the three-point arc while launching 6.5 perimeter shots per game. This also marks the worst three-point percentage of his career, with the Virginia product shooting 41.6% or greater in every other season. He made over 2.5 three-pointers in 30 games this season, even with his quality of shot opportunities being below what is typically the case. Thus far in the series, Hauser shot 4-for-6 from beyond the three-point arc in Game 1 and 2-for-8 from the perimeter in the previous game.

The Sixers have a bad habit of over-helping defensively to pave the way for clean three-point looks for their opponents. Hauser also gets the benefit of not seeing the level of defensive attention that Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will receive. He has not been bothered by playing on the road this season, as he has shot 41.1% in away games and 37.2% at home across the regular season. Expect Hauser to have success relocating off the gravity of the stars and connect with over 2.5 three-pointers tonight.

Tyrese Maxey to Record 8+ Assists (+189)

Tyrese Maxey deserves plenty of respect for the way that he has elevated this Sixers team amid the availability issues with Joel Embiid and Paul George. But Maxey missed three weeks of his own near the end of the season due to a finger injury on his shooting hand. He still looks bothered by the issue, and it can be seen visibly wrapped with Maxey grabbing and shaking it for stretches. Maxey has finished with 21 and 29 points in the opening two games after averaging 28.3 points per game across the regular season.

Instead, the two-time All-Star has made his impact felt as a playmaker. Maxey has tallied eight and nine assists across the opening two games in the series. He commands the most attention of anyone on this Sixers roster, and Philadelphia’s attack is built upon him using his speed to his advantage. Boston has thrown multiple bodies at Maxey in an effort to make others beat them, and this has shown in his assists total.

There is no clear adjustment to make up for this downhill pace, and expect Maxey to continue creating advantages in the flow of the offense. He averaged 6.6 assists per game across the regular-season and tallied eight or more assists in 30 games. He produced a season-high 14 assists in one of the regular-season matchups with Boston and averaged 8.8 assists in these four regular season matchups. The standard assists prop is set at 6.5 for Maxey in this matchup, but I am pushing the assists prop line to 8+ and backing the +189 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook.