Celtics vs. 76ers odds, Game 3: 2018 NBA playoffs picks, predictions from dialed in expert

Larry Harstein is 4-1 on 76ers picks and he just locked in a strong selection for Game 3 of Philadelphia-Boston

The Boston Celtics have remained a perfect 6-0 at home during the postseason, but they have yet to win on the road. They'll be aiming for their first victory away from TD Garden when they visit the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday at 5 p.m. ET. 

Philadelphia opened as a nine-point favorite; the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, opened at 208 but has dipped to 206.

Before picking either side, you need to read what SportsLine NBA expert Larry Hartstein has to say. Hartstein, a former lead writer at Covers and The Linemakers, has nailed four of his last five picks involving the 76ers. We can tell you he's expecting a low-scoring game and is leaning toward the under. 

Hartstein, who has a strong analytical background, has examined every matchup, every player and every trend for Boston vs. Philadelphia and locked in his pick. 

He's been money in this series. For Thursday's Game 2 contest, in which the Sixers were laying 3.5, Hartstein astutely noted the Celtics' defense on Ben Simmons would once again be stellar. So he took the points. The result? Simmons scored just one point on 0 of 4 shooting while committing five turnovers in a 108-103 Boston win, allowing Dragiev to cash with ease.

The Celtics can cover the spread, and win outright, if Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Terry Rozier keep getting open looks from 3-point range. The trio combined to go 8-for-18 from long range on Thursday, and for the series, Boston has been a phenomenal 32-for-71 beyond the arc -- a 45-percent clip. 

The 76ers can cover the spread if Joel Embiid can avoid foul trouble and play tough defense. In the fourth quarter of Game 2, the Philly center appeared to be gassed as sprinting Celts zipped right past him to the hoop. The Sixers will need him to be a dominating force if they have any shot at making this series competitive.

The over is 4-0 in Philadelphia's last four games following an against-the-spread loss, and Boston is 5-1 against the spread in its previous six head-to-head contests.

Hartstein has evaluated all this, found an X Factor, and locked in his strong pick.

So which side of Celtics-76ers do you need to be all over in Game 3, and what's the x-factor for this matchup? Visit SportsLine now to see the strong point-spread pick by Hartstein, who has nailed 80 percent of his most recent Sixers selections.