76ers vs. Celtics Game 1 prediction: NBA playoffs picks, odds, best bet for Sunday

Sunday’s four-game NBA playoff schedule begins at TD Garden with an Atlantic Division rivalry game between the No.7 seed 76ers and No.

2 Celtics.Just three seasons after their thrilling seven-game clash in the East semifinals, we’re in for another exciting series between them.The Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum era embarks on a new chapter, but this time around, it’ll be a new supporting cast around Tyrese Maxey as he holds down the fort with Joel Embiid recovering from appendicitis surgery. Boston is a 12.5-point favorite in Game 1, the second-highest spread of the day after OKC over Phoenix, with the total set at 213 points on bet365. The East standings were seemingly open for the majority of the season, but they then shifted into a one-team race, with Cade Cunningham and the Pistons lapping the competition en route to the top seed and guaranteed homecourt advantage with 60 wins. But suddenly, in late February heading into March on multiple sportsbooks, the Tatum injury news effect shifted all momentum back to Boston. Now on FanDuel, Joe Muzzula and Co.have the shortest odds (+155) to represent the East in the NBA Finals. If it does happen, it’ll be East Finals appearance number six for the Brown and Tatum duo. Their immediate focus, however, must be on Maxey, who is fresh off a massive 31-point showing in the Sixers’ Play-In victory over the Magic heading into Sunday’s matchup.The Sixers and Celtics split the regular-season series at two wins apiece, but with so many lineup changes due to injuries, oddsmakers are shifting in favor of the C’s because they have more healthy bodies. They could also be factoring in that Boston defeated Philly 114-98 in the season’s final matchup back in March, but several variables from that game should play out differently this time around.For starters, Neemas Quieta posted a career-high 27 points and 17 rebounds in that contest.

While the talent disparity from Embiid to reserves Andre Drummond and Adem Bona i...