The Boston Celtics surprisingly dropped Game 1 to a Joel Embiid-less Philadelphia 76ers team. The 76ers will likely remain without Embiid for another night as the Celtics look to bounce back. Bettors searching out value on the player prop markets should target James Harden and Jayson Tatum in Game 2. Want more 76ers-Celtics player props? Check out OddsShopper’s tools for other sharp plays, including our Parlay Builder!
76ers-Celtics Game 2 NBA Player Prop | James Harden
James Harden O/U 24.5 Points
The Philadelphia 76ers got a monster 45-point showing out of James Harden in Game 1. You know the drill: that means it’s time to short Philadelphia’s star guard in a must-win Game 2 for the Boston Celtics. Harden shot a jaw-dropping 100% when lined up against last year’s Defensive Player of the Year, Marcus Smart, in coverage, good for 18 total points. That simply will not happen again.
Harden tends to play a much higher-usage role without Joel Embiid, but this number has still gotten too inflated. Harden scored only 17 points in the playoff game Embiid missed against the Brooklyn Nets. He averaged only 20.6 points per game without Embiid in the regular season and surpassed this number just once. Harden’s 30 field goal attempts in Game 1 marked his most as a 76ers and his most since March 2021.
Let’s short Harden for Game 2. He should regress to the mean, especially since Boston will likely play more attentive defense against him. Boston’s defense recorded an efficiency rating of 129.3 in an incredibly slow-paced game in Game 1 despite owning a rating of 116.3 for the playoffs and 110.6 for the regular season. The best number for this prop exists at FanDuel Sportsbook. If you’re yet to register there, you can score $150 in bonus bets after placing just a $5 wager!
Best 76ers-Celtics Player Prop: James Harden Under 24.5 Points -122 for 1.5 Units at FanDuel
76ers-Celtics Game 2 NBA Player Prop | Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum O/U 3.5 3-Pointers
In Game 1, Jayson Tatum shot an absurd 4-for-5 from beyond the arc on his way to 39 points. While the four makes were there for him, they came on only five attempts, which makes Game 2 a prime spot to short Tatum from the perimeter. Tatum averaged only 3.2 3-pointers per game in the regular season on a conversion rate of 35%. Although he is averaging 3.6 per game in the playoffs, those have come on an unsustainable conversion rate of 38.5%.
This series won’t resemble the one the Boston Celtics just played against the Atlanta Hawks. Boston and Atlanta played at a fast pace and averaged 101.7 possessions per team per game. But in Game 1, the 76ers and Celtics averaged only 91 possessions per team, meaning far fewer chances for Boston’s playmakers to contribute. As a result, we have to fade them relative to the inflated numbers still available on the prop markets.
Philadelphia’s opening-round series against the Brooklyn Nets provides the perfect example of why fading these teams’ studs in Game 2 should work. The Nets and 76ers combined for a series-high 222 points in a slow-paced but efficient Game 1. The two teams then averaged 187.7 points per game over the rest of the series. Let’s lock in Tatum’s under on this player prop market at -130 via FanDuel Sportsbook before the line moves.
Best 76ers-Celtics Player Prop: Jayson Tatum Under 3.5 3-Pointers -130 for 1.3 Units at FanDuel
