Joel Embiid gives the Philadelphia 76ers the best chance at pulling even with the Boston Celtics in their Eastern Conference semifinal. Consequently, his inclusion in the starting lineup caused a massive shift in the betting price ahead of Game 4. 

The Sixers were heading towards being home underdogs at tip-off; however, once it was confirmed that Embiid would start, they closed as short -1 home favorites.

today's starting five:

🔔 @Tobias31
🔔 P.J. Tucker
🔔 @JoelEmbiid
🔔 @JHarden13
🔔 @TyreseMaxey

👕 @alscouniforms pic.twitter.com/NVq5Qhv8L2

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) May 7, 2023

Embiid has been slowed by a knee injury since the opening round. Still, the ailment didn’t appear to impact his performance last time out. The recently crowned MVP dropped a postseason-best 30 points in Game 3 on 9-for-19 shooting and 11-for-12 from the charity stripe. 

A repeat effort would go a long way to helping the Sixers pull even with the Celtics in their second-round matchup. 

Philadelphia and the Celtics are trading blows early in the first. Check out FanDuel Sportsbook for a live line on the contest.