The NBA Playoffs continue Monday night in Game 5 between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics. The NBA Playoff odds for the game have the Celtics favored by 5 points. The game is scheduled for a 7:00 pm start time and it will be televised live on TNT. The spread shows that bookmakers have a prediction of a win for the Celtics at home.
Picks: The series is tied at 2 games a piece and tonight the pivotal Game 5 will show which team probably comes out and moves on. The Celtics were one of the better teams in the league at home this season while Philly has struggled on the road. However, each team has already dropped a game at home during this series, so we are all tied up. Philadelphia erased an 18-point deficit in the second half and beat the Celtics handily, 92-83, in the fourth game of the series. Boston is a much older team and all three of their big stars are in the twilight of their careers. Sixers forward Andre Iguodala said having the extra day probably helps the Celtics "because they have a lot more miles on their bodies." Game 5 now has some bulletin board material, as if the Celtics even needed any. Neither team has excelled this season with a few too many days off, going 5-6 this season with more than two days rest. Obviously one of the teams will get to the .500 mark with a win tonight. The opening two games of the series were decided by 1 point and that shows how much the Sixers are not intimidated by this Boston team. Nor should they be. The 76ers are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games in Boston and they are in virtually every game thanks to their defense and the coaching of Doug Collins, one of the more underrated coaches in the NBA. Philly has been great defensively the entire playoffs, giving up just 86.9 ppg in the playoffs this year, and that has resulted in some tight ball games.
Prediction: Why are the Celtics favored by 5 points in this game? That seems like a bit of an odd number considering how the first four games in this series have gone. Most have been extremely close contests and with how Philadelphia plays defense, 5 points might seem like a nice gift here. However, we aren't going to take the bait and we are actually going to take the Celtics and lay the points. Guys like Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett have played much better in their older ages in this series and I expect them to keep it up at a high level. Boston is going to hammer the 76ers in this game and Rajon Rondo is going to have a monster game. Celtics 90, 76ers 77
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