Boston Celtics vs Philadelphia 76ers Prediction: We have great faith in the 76ers

The regular season in the NBA kicks off with a game between Boston and Philadelphia. The two teams will be in contention for the title in the upcoming championship. Who will start the regular season with a win?

Boston is perhaps the most versatile team in the NBA right now: Even in the event of injury, they have decent replacements at every position. Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon, and Marcus Smart cover the backfield, Jaylen Brown can play guard and forward, and Payton Pritchard is also available. In the absence of Robert Williams and Danilo Gallinari, Grant Williams and Al Horford will be out in the frontcourt, and Jayson Tatum could also be fourth. The Celtics' latest signing is Sam Hauser, remembered for his long-range hits in the preseason. Blake Griffin is also predicted to get some game minutes while Gallinari and Williams recover.

Joe Mazzulla's men have faced Toronto and Charlotte twice each in the preseason, losing twice to the Canadiens in overtime and twice to the Hornets. In their last meeting with the Raptors, the Celts lost 134-137. The Celtics made 54 three-pointers on 19 of them, and Derrick White was the team's best shooter that night, making 5-of-6 field goal attempts. Boston frequently lost the ball and lost the battle on the board. In overtime, the rebounding and foul trouble led to the final result. Both teams produced low shooting percentages from the game, but Toronto had more possessions.

The 76ers didn't have enough roster depth last season to contend for the title, and James Harden wasn't at his best. Harden has been working hard this summer, his training videos are impressive, and it will be interesting to see what he shows on the floor. Tyrese Maxey has been impressive in the preseason. He could become a full-fledged 2-3 star for Philadelphia. The main expectations are on Joel Embiid, who last year in the regular season led the league in scoring average (30.6) and adding an assist (4.2 assists per game). The good news is that all of the strongest players are now in place and the 76ers approach the game against Boston fully armed.

Doc Rivers' team won all four preseason games, beating Brooklyn, Cleveland (twice), and Charlotte. In their last meeting with the Hornets, Philadelphia didn't play their best offensively, but their defense made up for it. The final score was 99-94 in favor of the 76ers. After three successful games, Maxey looked weak, hitting just 3-of-13 shots from the field. Georges Niang and Shake Milton were the only ones shooting from beyond the arc, while the team's three-point conversion rate was just 31.4%. Embiid did not make all 3 of his long-range shots but was still the highest scorer on the team with 19 points.

In their last ten head-to-head encounters, Philadelphia has defeated Boston six times, and one of the Celtics' wins came in the NBA Summer League. The 76ers lost their last meeting at home by a score of 87-135. Harden did not play due to injury, while the Celtics were without Robert Williams.

Celtics strengthened the roster compared to last season, but the sudden change of coach could not but affect the team. Boston slipped halfway through the regular season after the arrival of Ime Udoka, although they reached the playoffs finals afterwards. How ready Joe Mazzulla is to be an NBA club boss is still a big question. Philadelphia has developed quite a few good role players who will make the 82-game distance easier, and the starting five can only get stronger through the progress of Maxey and Harden. The 76ers have looked more confident than the Celtics in the preseason, so the odds are about even, although bookmakers favor the home side.

• Philadelphia's handicap (+2.5) for 2.12;
• Philadelphia to win including overtime for 2.35;
• Total Over 216.5 points for 1.95.

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