NBA on Christmas has arrived, as there is a five-game slate set to tip off at 12 PM ET. While the Spurs and Knicks kick off the festivities, two Eastern Conference rivals will face off in the third game of the day as the Philadelphia 76ers travel to the TD Garden for a tilt with the Boston Celtics. The hosts have been head and shoulders above the 76ers thus far, but anything can happen on Christmas, so let’s dive into our NBA picks on Christmas between Philadelphia and Boston.

Boston Celtics Recap

The Boston Celtics currently sit in second place in the Eastern Conference, and the Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder are the only teams in the league with a better record thus far. Although the defending champions don’t sit atop the NBA standings, you can expect this team to compete for another title, as last year’s roster is back and Kristaps Porziņģis just returned to a full-time role with the team at the start of December. 

The Celtics are once again led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but Porziņģis, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard and Jrue Holiday have all averaged double figures in scoring, and Pritchard in particular has been an X-factor for this squad. The Oregon Ducks product is a top contender for NBA Sixth Man of the Year, and he’s been an elite scorer for Boston off the bench. If Tatum or Brown isn’t torching your squad, you can expect another trio of Celtics players to be in double figures, which is the main reason why this team is so dangerous. Boston is 11-4 at TD Garden this season and has yet to drop a game against an Atlantic Divison opponent, and we expect that to continue on Christmas.

Philadelphia 76ers Recap

The Philadelphia 76ers haven’t started the season well, as they currently sit outside the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference and have had serious injury concerns throughout the entire season. While the offseason acquisition of Paul George made 76ers fans feel like they could be title contenders, he was injured to start the year and has featured in a 76ers uniform just 16 times this season. Additionally, former MVP Joel Embiid has played just seven games, and Philly’s Big 3 of George, Embiid and Tyrese Maxey have played just four games together this season.

Luckily for the 76ers, Embiid has played in three of their last five games, while George and Maxey haven’t missed a game since December 4. If they want a chance to make the playoffs this year, they’ll need all three superstars to be healthy. Rookie Jared McCain had been a bright spot for this Philly team (15.3 PPG), but the Duke product suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee and is out for the foreseeable future. It’s hard to feel good about this Philly team due to their poor injury luck, so it will be interesting to see how they play against this loaded Celtics squad.

76ers vs Celtics Predictions

Christmas Day marks the first time these two squads have met this season, and we anticipate Boston will win big. Additionally, Jayson Tatum should show up for the home crowd, as the superstar is coming off a huge Christmas Day against the Bucks last season. The Duke product scored 41 points last season on Christmas against Milwaukee, and he should score 30+ against a 76ers squad struggling to stay above water.

Not only that, but Tatum should also have a big day on the glass. Tatum averages 28.8 ppg and 9.3 rpg so far this season and just torched the Chicago Bulls with a 43-point triple-double this past Saturday. I expect Tatum to show up in a big way this Christmas and will be backing him to record 40+ points and rebounds this Christmas. Tatum has recorded 58, 41, 40, 30, 44, 29, 41, 49 points + rebounds over his last nine games (41.5 PTS + REB) and I expect him to keep his hot streak going against Philadelphia.

Our Pick: Jayson Tatum to Record 40+ PTS + REB