Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics Picks and Prediction for Wednesday, October 22, 2025
Use Code WWWC Philadelphia 76ers (0-0) vs. Boston Celtics (0-0)
The opening week of the 2025-26 NBA season continues Wednesday, October 22, with the marquee Atlantic Division showdown at TD Garden in Boston, MA, so we’ve got you covered with our 76ers vs. Celtics prediction.
Boston and Philadelphia start their four-game regular-season series. Last season, the Celtics took three out of four against the 76ers, and Boston aims for its fourth straight victory over Philadelphia.
Let’s take a closer look at this 76ers vs. Celtics prediction, one of our NBA picks for Wednesday’s card. The tip-off is set at 7:30 PM ET, and the Celtics are 2.5-point home favorites with a total of 227.5 points.
The 76ers are coming off a disappointing season
The Philadelphia 76ers were awful in 2024-25. They went 24-58, finishing dead last in the Atlantic Division and 13th in the Eastern Conference. Due to injuries, Joel Embiid played just 19 games, Paul George missed half of the season, while Tyrese Maxey appeared in 52 games. Moreover, rookie Jared McCain suffered a season-ending injury in December after tallying 15.3 points per game.
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The Sixers ranked 22nd in the league in adjusted offensive efficiency (111.9 points per 100 possessions) and 26th in adjusted defensive efficiency (118.2). Maxey led the way with 26.3 points and 6.1 assists per game, while George was tallying just 16.2 points a night. Quentin Grimes played well after arriving in a trade with the Dallas Mavericks, averaging 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists.
In the offseason, the 76ers re-signed Grimes, Andre Drummond (7.3 PPG, 7.8 RPG), Kyle Lowry (3.9 PPG, 2.7 APG), and Kelly Oubre Jr. (15.1 PPG, 6.1 RPG). They drafted VJ Edgecombe (3rd pick) and Johni Broome (35th pick) while losing Jared Butler (11.5 PPG, 4.9 APG), Guerschon Yabusele (11.0 PPG, 5.6 RPG), and Ricky Council IV (7.3 PPG) in free agency.
The Sixers have a lot of talent on their roster, but injuries remain an issue. Embiid has only played 58 games over the last two seasons, and George is not getting any younger. Frankly, Maxey should be a go-to guy for the Sixers, who hope for a much better season. Philadelphia is a strong -220 fave to reach the playoffs in 2026.
The Celtics made big changes in the offseason
The Boston Celtics cruised through the 2024-25 regular season. They went 61-21 but failed to become the first repeat champions in seven years. The Celtics eliminated the Orlando Magic in the first round of the playoffs before losing to the New York Knicks in the semis in six games. Jayson Tatum suffered an Achilles injury against the Knicks, and he’ll probably miss the entire 2025-26 regular season.
The Celtics ranked second in the league in adjusted offensive efficiency (120.6) and fifth in adjusted defensive efficiency (111.1). Tatum was their leading scorer with 26.8 points per game, while Jaylen Brown was tallying 22.2 points per contest. Payton Pritchard won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year, averaging 14.3 points and 3.5 assists in 28.4 minutes on the floor per game.
Boston had a busy offseason. The Celtics needed to get rid of some of their pricey stars. They sent Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Anfernee Simmons, while Kristaps Porzingis was traded to the Atlanta Hawks for the 2031 second-round pick and cash considerations. In free agency, the Celtics lost Al Horford and Luke Kornet and replaced them with Chris Boucher and Luka Garza.
The Celtics will need Jaylen Brown to step up and become a true leader in Tatum’s absence. Boston will continue to lean on 3-pointers a lot, so keep your eyes on Pritchard and Derrick White. Last season, the Celtics led the NBA in 3-point rate (.536) and triples made per game (17.8). They shot 36.8% from deep (tied for 9th in the league).
76ers vs. Celtics Pick
Spread Pick for 76ers vs. Celtics
- Philadelphia 76ers +2.5 (5 units)
The Celtics will probably start Neemias Queta at center. The 26-year-old Portuguese might struggle to contain Joel Embiid, and the Celtics arguably lack quality at center. With Jrue Holiday out of the club and Jayson Tatum on the shelf, Boston might need some time to figure things out on the defensive side of the ball, so I’m backing Philadelphia in this game.
The 76ers are an angry group. They were supposed to be championship contenders in 2024-25, but injuries ruined their campaign. The Sixers must be fired up to get things going early.
Over/Under Pick for 76ers vs. Celtics
- Under 227.5 (5 units)
As I noted above, the Celtics heavily rely on 3-pointers. They don’t play fast, but more than half of their field-goal attempts come from deep. Last season, the Celtics were dead last in the NBA in pace, tallying 95.7 possessions per 48 minutes, while the 76ers ranked 23rd in this category (97.4) and 13th in 3-point rate (.426).
The healthy 76ers look like a solid defensive team, so I will take the under on the total. They will look to feed Joel Embiid at the low post and attack the rim a lot in this matchup.
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