The Philadelphia 76ers duo of James Harden & Joel Embiid needed to be great for the team to defeat the Boston Celtics on Sunday afternoon to tie up the series. The Celtics-76ers betting trends from before Game 4 show a bulk of public bettors were ripping Joel Embiid & James Harden player props prior to the game. They were rewarded when both the stars dug deep and led Philly to a thrilling overtime win.
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Celtics-76ers Betting Trends: Joel Embiid & James Harden Bettors Celebrate Big Win
Per BetMGM data analyst John Ewing, the most-bet player props for Sunday afternoon’s game were Joel Embiid over 28.5 points (-110), Marcus Smart over 16 points + assists (-110), James Harden over 28.5 points and assists (-130), Tobias Harris over 13.5 points (-120), James Harden over 20.5 points (-115). A whopping 99% of bets were on Embiid to cash in on the over.
Embiid dropped 34 points and Harden poured in a game-high 42. The 76ers needed every point of their combined effort, winning 116-115 after Harden hit a go-ahead 3-pointer late in overtime. The response by Harden and Embiid was extremely impressive given how outmatched they looked when losing by a combined 46 points in Games 2 & 3.
Harden scored just 16 points on 2-7 shooting in the Game 3 loss, leading Embiid to call on him to be more aggressive and trust his shot-making ability.
“I mean, you just talk to him and you keep telling him to keep shooting,” Embiid said to ESPN. Can’t get too high, can’t get too low. Some nights you’re going to make lots of other shots, a lot of tough ones, and some nights you’re not going to make them. So it’s about finding other ways to impact the game.”
Whether it was Embiid’s words that gave Harden inspiration or something else, he certainly looked like a man possessed today. In the end, it was Embiid who gave up the final shot to find Harden for the corner 3-pointer that would hold up as the winner when Boston failed to get a shot away on the final possession.
Now, the series goes back to Boston all knotted up at two games apiece after the much-needed win by Philly. The early 76ers-Celtics betting line for Game 5 shows the Celtics (-7.5 at DraftKings) will be a heavy home favorite and remain a big favorite to ultimately win the series. But the 76ers have a newfound confidence thanks to the clutch performance from Harden and Embiid.
It is fair to expect Joel Embiid & James Harden props to remain popular after bettors cashed in Sunday, and Philly will need more magic from the duo if they want any chance of pulling off the upset and moving on in the playoffs.
Bettors can check out OddsShopper tools, including the Parlay Builder, to find all the best value for the remainder of the NBA Playoffs!
