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Celtics open as huge favorites in series vs. Sixers as Joel Embiid’s injury status remains unclear

The Sixers are more than 2-to-1 underdogs to get out of the second round and into the conference finals.

Joel Embiid (center) of the Sixers goes up for a shot against Al Horford (left) of the Celtics during the first half of their game at the Wells Fargo Center on Feb. 25, 2023.
Joel Embiid (center) of the Sixers goes up for a shot against Al Horford (left) of the Celtics during the first half of their game at the Wells Fargo Center on Feb. 25, 2023.Read moreCharles Fox / Staff Photographer

The Boston Celtics finally closed out the Atlanta Hawks in Game 6 of their first round NBA playoff series Thursday night, not that Sixers fans — or the Sixers themselves, given Joel Embiid’s injury status — were in a rush for the series to end.

So here the Sixers are, back in the second round, where most of their recent seasons have gone to end. And a familiar foe awaits in the Celtics.

Given the aforementioned Embiid injury, it should have come as no surprise to see the Celtics, the reigning Eastern Conference champions, as big favorites when betting markets opened at FanDuel late Thursday night.

» READ MORE: Four areas the Sixers must shore up to beat the Boston Celtics in their second-round series

Sixers vs. Celtics series odds (FanDuel)

Odds as of 11 p.m. ET on April 27

  1. Boston -290

  2. Philadelphia +235

The Celtics opened as even larger favorites when FanDuel first released the odds. Boston was at least as high as -320 just minutes after Game 6 ended in Atlanta, but the line quickly moved under -300.

Embiid’s status remains up in the air as he is dealing with a sprained lateral collateral ligament in his right knee. The Sixers again had little to say on the topic Thursday.

Beating Boston would be a tough task even if Embiid was completely healthy. The Sixers dropped three of their four games vs. their division rival during the regular season. And the Celtics have beaten the Sixers in five consecutive series’ in the playoffs, including most recently in 2020, when the Sixers were swept.

FanDuel also released odds for Monday’s Game 1 late Thursday night. The Celtics opened as seven-point favorites at home vs. the Sixers.

The Sixers’ odds of winning a championship briefly increased from +700 to +600 at FanDuel Thursday, the day after top-seeded Milwaukee was eliminated from the playoffs. But late Thursday night the Sixers were back listed at 7/1.

Boston, meanwhile, is the favorite to win the NBA Finals at +155.

» READ MORE: Sixers set to face big challenge against Boston Celtics in Eastern Conference semifinals