How to Stream Celtics vs. 76ers Live With Sling TV
How to watch the Celtics vs. 76ers First Round series in the 2026 NBA Playoffs with Sling, plus full live stream schedule, preview, and more.
The Boston Celtics take on the Philadelphia 76ers in the First Round of the NBA Playoffs, a high-stakes playoff clash between division rivals that know each other well. Games on ESPN, NBC, and ABC will be available to stream live with Sling. Here’s everything you need to know.
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Celtics vs. 76ers First Round Schedule: Dates, Times, and Channels
Here’s a look at the complete First Round schedule between Boston and Philadelphia:
#2 Boston Celtics vs. #7 Philadelphia 76ers
- Game 1: Philadelphia 91, Boston 123
- Game 2: Philadelphia at Boston – Tuesday April 21 (7 ET, NBC)
- Game 3: Boston at Philadelphia – Friday April 24 (7 ET, Prime Video)*
- Game 4: Boston at Philadelphia – Sunday April 26 (7 ET, NBC)
- Game 5: Philadelphia at Boston – Tuesday April 28 (If necessary)
- Game 6: Boston at Philadelphia – Thursday April 30 (If necessary)
- Game 7: Philadelphia at Boston – Saturday May 2 (If necessary)
* Not available with Sling
How to Watch Boston vs. Philadelphia with Sling
The first two rounds of the NBA Playoffs will be shared between the NBA’s 2026 broadcast partners: ABC, Amazon Prime Video, ESPN, NBC, and Peacock. (Note: Prime Video and Peacock games require a separate subscription).
- Any game on ESPN is on Sling. Watch with Sling Essentials (our new plan for ESPN & more at the lowest price on the market), Sling Orange, or Sling Orange + Blue. You can also watch with a 1, 3, or 7 Day Pass subscription.
- Games on NBC and/or ABC will be available with Sling Select or Sling Blue in the markets listed below:
- If you live in any of these areas, Sling Essentials & Select will get you games on NBC and/or ABC, plus ESPN games.
- ATTENTION SIXERS FANS in Philly: Watch all of the 2026 NBA Playoff games available with Sling, including the NBA Finals, by subscribing to Sling Essentials & Select.
- Games on Amazon Prime or Peacock require a separate subscription.
Subscribe to Sling Essentials + Select using the link below!
Boston vs. Philadelphia Series Preview: Things to Watch
https://youtu.be/ClW17QdXf6M?si=fSqlj_pWp-PuZokq
If you were to rank NBA Playoff rivalries, Celtics-Sixers would have to be near the top of the list. Incredibly, these two historic Eastern Conference powerhouses have faced off 22 times in the Playoffs, with Boston winning 15 of the series, including the last six in a row.
There’s good reason to think 2026 will get them to lucky number seven. Despite Jayson Tatum sitting out nearly the entire regular season while recovering from his Achilles tear, Boston finished with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. Along with Coach of the Year candidate Joe Mazzulla, a lot of the credit goes to Jaylen Brown, who set new career highs in points, assists, rebounds, and free throw rate while finishing second in the NBA in usage rate. With Tatum back, the Celtics must be taken seriously as contenders.
But Boston obviously hasn’t forgotten about what a different Atlantic Division rival did to them last year in the Playoffs, a blueprint the 76ers can build from. Tyrese Maxey had his best season serving as a literal workhorse – his 38.0 minutes per game average this season was the highest in the NBA since James Harden a decade ago – and rookie V.J. Edgecombe looks like a star in the making.
But with Boston’s depth and experience, it’s hard to see Philadelphia getting past Boston without a major contribution from former MVP Joel Embiid. Sadly, his availability is in doubt after getting an emergency appendectomy on April 9 (we’d say that Embiid can’t catch a break, but even that expression feels like a jinx). If Embiid can play, the Sixers should put up a respectable fight; if not, it’s hard to see this series going longer than five games.
Series Odds and Prediction
https://youtu.be/4PBzLAmlXA4?si=_kDq3AdGJn9jma5b
The Boston Celtics are massive betting favorites to eliminate the Philadelphia 76ers, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. Currently, the Celtics sit at a staggering -900 on the series moneyline; a bettor would need to wager $900 just to yield a $100 profit. Conversely, the underdog 76ers are priced at +600, offering a lucrative $600 return on a $100 bet if Philadelphia manages to pull off the upset. For bettors eyeing the series spread—which represents the exact amount a team is favored to win or lose by—Boston is heavily favored at -2.5 games. This means the Celtics must dominate and win the series in five games or fewer (such as a 4-0 sweep or a 4-1 victory) to cover the bet, while the 76ers at +2.5 simply need to stretch the matchup to at least six games.
Beyond picking the outright series winner, bettors can also wager on the exact length of the matchup via the total games market. Similar to a traditional over/under, this bet type ignores which team actually advances and focuses entirely on predicting whether the combined number of games played will be over or under a specific number. DraftKings has set the series Over/Under at 5.5 games, with the Under heavily favored at -200 and the Over listed at +165. This pricing suggests oddsmakers strongly anticipate a short series that ends in five games or less, a projection heavily influenced by the uncertainty surrounding Joel Embiid's health following his appendectomy.
Prediction: Celtics in 5.
To watch Celtics-76ers games on ESPN with Sling, use the link below to subscribe to a 1 Day Pass! Or to watch all NBA Playoff games on ESPN with Sling, subscribe to our new Sling Essentials service, with ESPN and much more!