The Celtics were supposed to make quick work of the 76ers in the NBA playoffs.
Before the series started, the C’s were viewed as the darlings of the East, and the 76ers were a speed bump on their road to the Eastern Conference finals.
Philly didn’t get that message. The Sixers stole Game 2 on the road in Boston, pushed the Celtics to the brink in Game 3, and pulled off another stunner down 3-1 in Game 5 to extend this series another game.
Now that the series has shifted back to the City of Brotherly Love, the pressure shifts to the Celtics, who want to avoid playing a seventh game in a series they were expected to breeze past.
Oddsmakers like their chances to advance to the next round here. The Celtics are 6.5-point favorites in Philadelphia, where they have won two games in this series.
In big games like this one tonight, the spotlight tends to fall on the stars. The best will be expected of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey in a high-stakes environment.
But big games also tend to showcase a role player stepping up to make an impact. No player on the Celtics has outplayed his role as much as Payton Pritchard since he joined the team. He flashed his talent in the Celtics’ run to the title in 2024, then leveled up last season on his way to winning Sixth Man of the Year.
He’s been money in this series, too. Pritchard scored a playoff career-high 32 points in Game 4 and has been a thorn in the side of the Sixers.
The Sixers are loading up on Tatum, trying to get the ball out of his hands, and Pritchard has been a reliable outlet when those double teams come. But he’s also been able to get his own in this series.
He’s beating nearly every Philly defender off the dribble when he wants and is also using his dazzling ball-handling skills to keep defenders off balance when he wants to get to his jump shot.
Pritchard’s points prop is a modest 13.5 points, a number he has already bested twice in this series and fallen short of by two points twice. I expect Pritchard to rise to the occasion and take advantage of the shot attempts that are sure to come his way tonight.
The Pick: Payton Pritchard Over 13.5 points (-108, FanDuel)
Malik Smith has been immersed in the sports betting industry since 2017. He’s a data nerd with a particular focus on the NBA and combat sports. He spends his weeknights in the winter looking for edges on plus-money NBA player props.
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