76ers vs. Celtics prediction: Boston favored to win Game 1 [2026 NBA Playoffs]

The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia sixers are scheduled to meet in Game 1 of their NBA Playoffs series at TD Garden on Sunday, starting at 1:00 PM ET.

Based on the latest simulations and today’s injury updates, Dimers' advanced NBA model predicts the Celtics as the most likely winner of the 76ers vs. Celtics Game 1 matchup.

This prediction follows the latest NBA Injury Report, which suggests the Celtics lineup will feature players like Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Payton Pritchard, while the 76ers will be led by Tyrese Maxey, Paul George and VJ Edgecombe.

This article offers a closer look at Sunday's matchup, including an expanded look at the predicted score, best bets and player prop picks.

Sixers vs. Sixers prediction: Who will win Game 1?

Using trusted machine learning and data analysis, we have simulated the result of Sunday's NBA Playoffs matchup between the 76ers and Celtics, forming part of our NBA predictions coverage.

Our independent predictive model gives the Celtics an 83% chance of defeating the 76ers in Game 1 of the series. Our predicted final score has the Celtics winning 114-103.

According to our model, the 76ers (+12.5) have a 55% chance of covering the spread, while the 215.5-point over/under has a 51% chance of going over.

76ers vs. Celtics Game 1 odds

We have sourced the best NBA odds in America for this game, which are listed here:

All odds are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.

76ers vs. Celtics picks and best bet for Game 1

After matching our predictions against the best current odds, we can reveal our picks for each of the major markets. Plus, find our best bet for the game below:

According to our best NBA bets for Sunday, the top play to make on this game is 76ers +12.5 at the spread.

These picks are based on our probabilities matched against the implied probabilities from the sportsbook odds.

76ers vs. Celtics Game 1 player props

NBA prop bets are an enjoyable way to wager on the Philadelphia vs. Boston matchup without necessarily betting on the outcome. We have crunched the numbers to project how each team's leading players will perform at TD Garden.

Tyrese Maxey is expected to lead the 76ers with 26 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists, while Jaylen Brown is projected to have 30 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists for the Celtics.

Check out our NBA player projections for a full range of projected box scores, including points, assists, rebounds and today's NBA first basket picks.

76ers prediction

Our model's projected player stats for the 76ers are:

Celtics prediction

Projected points, rebounds, assists and three-pointers made for the Celtics:

Sixers vs. Celtics Game 1 updates and essential details

Sunday's Game 1 between the Celtics and 76ers in the NBA Playoffs is scheduled to commence at 1:00 PM ET.

• Who: Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics
• Date: Sunday, April 19, 2026
• Time: 1:00 PM ET/10:00AM PT
• Venue: TD Garden
• NBA Playoffs bracket: Updated NBA Playoffs bracket and schedule

The NBA Playoffs is an annual postseason tournament held to decide the league's champion.

A total of 16 teams, including the 76ers and Celtics, made the 2026 NBA Playoffs, which includes four rounds: the First Round, Conference Semifinals, Conference Finals, and NBA Finals.

Each round is played as a best-of-seven series, with the first team to four wins progressing to the next round until a champion is crowned.

Conclusion

We predict the Celtics, with an 83% win probability, will likely beat the 76ers in Sunday's NBA playoffs matchup.

Additional tools and information for betting safely can be found in our Responsible Gambling hub.