The Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics will begin their first-round series at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 19. While Joel Embiid’s emergency appendix surgery has changed the outlook for this series, there is still deep rivalry between these two organizations. This is the fourth playoff matchup between these two teams since the 2017-18 season.

The Celtics are 12.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook. The 76ers are +550 underdogs, with the game total set at 213.5

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 opening matchup of the Eastern Conference clash.

76ers vs. Celtics Best Prop Bets

Tyrese Maxey Over 25.5 Points (-114)

With Embiid’s availability often in question, Tyrese Maxey has stepped up as the face of the franchise. The two-time All-Star averaged 28.3 points, 6.6 assists, and 4.1 rebounds this season while leading the league in minutes per game. Maxey scored over 25.5 points in 47 of his 70 games this year, including three of four matchups with the Celtics. He scored as many as 40 in this rivalry matchup this year.

Boston has an elite defense that allows the fewest points per game and ranks fourth in defensive rating. But the biggest defensive weakness is containing fast-paced guards. Maxey fits this archetype as he’s one of the fastest players in the league. In addition, the Celtics rank 30th in the league in pace. Boston will try to play slow and controlled in the half court, while the 76ers want to play via transition opportunities.

The Celtics can’t match Maxey’s speed, so he may find easy transition buckets in Game 1. Especially without Embiid, Maxey will be taking on the bulk of the Sixers’ shot volume. He attempted a career-high 21.4 FGA per game in the regular season. It may not be the most efficient pathway to getting there, but count on Maxey launching shots throughout, getting out in transition, and having no trouble pushing his scoring over the 25.5 prop line.

Derrick White Over 2.5 Made Three-Pointers (+110)

On the other side of the matchup, three-point shooting will be a major storyline for the Celtics. Boston ranks fourth in three-point volume, third in three-point makes per game, and eighth in three-point percentage. This is always a major part of the Celtics’ game plan, but will especially be the case against the 76ers. Philadelphia ranks 19th in opponents’ three-point attempts allowed.

Derrick White will be a major part of this effort and does an excellent job of relocating to create these looks without the ball. The 31-year-old posted averages of 16.5 points and 8.9 three-point attempts per game. He made three or more threes in 40 of his 77 games this season, including four or more three-pointers in three of the four games against the Sixers.

The biggest concern is that White shot just 32.7% from deep this year. But this was largely because Jayson Tatum wasn’t on the floor to draw attention. White had to self-create at a greater rate. With Tatum and Jaylen Brown both healthy, White should get better looks in the flow of the offense.

VJ Edgecombe to Record 7+ Rebounds (+124)

VJ Edgecombe made his mark as a rookie, posting averages of 16 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. He will be asked to contribute in a variety of ways this series, but expect his rebounding ability to be especially necessary. Boston ranks third in rebounds per game and sixth in opponents’ rebounds allowed. The Sixers are not a good rebounding team, even when Embiid is on the floor, so it will take a team-wide effort to ensure this is not the weakness that ends this season.

Edgecombe averages 5.6 rebounds per game, but has tallied seven or more rebounds in 23 games this year. He led the Sixers with 11 rebounds in the Play-In victory over the Magic and pulled in seven rebounds against the Celtics in his first career NBA game.