The second-seeded Boston Celtics will host the third-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Monday at 8 p.m. TNT will broadcast the game, and fans can also stream the matchup on the TNT app.

Philadelphia is a 3.5-point road favorite for Game 1, per OddsShark, and the over/under total is set at 206 points. That spread is likely impacted by Celtics guard Jaylen Brown's hamstring injury; the former Cal Golden Bear is considered doubtful to suit up Monday, per Jay King of The Athletic.

The 76ers also have 9-1 odds to win the NBA Finals, trailing the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets and being tied with the Toronto Raptors. The Celtics have the second-to-worst odds at 66-1. 

The two teams have faced each other 17 times in the postseason, with Boston winning seven. However, the two teams have only seen each other in two playoff series this century, with the C's winning in 2002 and 2012.

Here's a look at two players to watch for playoff series No. 18 and a series prediction at the end.

Jayson Tatum

With Brown sidelined for Game 1, it may be Jayson Tatum's time as he continues his rapid ascendance in his first NBA season.

When one watches Tatum play, it's hard to reconcile the moves he makes with the fact that he just turned 20 years old, like this smooth layup (plus the foul) over Atlanta Hawks center Dewayne Dedmon:

Tatum averaged 17.8 points over the final four games of the Milwaukee Bucks series, and that includes an eight-point performance where he shot just 2-of-7 from the field. He also made a big impact on defense, amassing 11 steals in seven games (including seven in the first two).

The scary part is that Tatum's jumper was off against Milwaukee, as he made just 40.2 percent of his field goals (for the season, Tatum was a 47.5 percent shooter). If he finds his groove against the 76ers, then he could be posting 20-plus points per game.

Joel Embiid

After missing the end of the regular season (and two playoff games) due to an orbital fracture and concussion suffered against the New York Knicks on March 29, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid returned for Game 3 of his team's first-round series with the Miami Heat. He posted 18.7 points, 10.3 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game for the remainder of the matchup.

Despite the time off and Embiid's struggles with the team-mandated mask to protect himself, the center still played well over three games. Against Boston in the second round, Embiid shouldn't have to fight rust. He may fight his mask, but at least he's more used to it by now.

That's bad news for a Celtics team that just went through a tough seven-game series with Milwaukee. Boston just finished its series off Saturday night, while the 76ers have been resting since Tuesday.

Embiid didn't fare as well against the Celtics in the regular season as he did vs. other teams (17.3 points on 38.5 percent shooting), but with the rest factor clearly in Philadelphia's favor, his fortunes could change.

Philadelphia 4, Boston 2 (if Brown Misses Game 1)

The series largely hinges on the availability of Brown. If he's able to come back for Game 1, then the C's have a shot. For what it's worth, this update from head coach Brad Stevens is somewhat encouraging:

If he can't go for Game 1, then Game 2 on Thursday is a much stronger possibility, as there is an odd quirk in the Boston-Philadelphia series schedule. Even though the series is staying in Boston for the first two games, the teams have two full days of rest between matchups as opposed to the usual one when a series stays in the same city between games.

Therefore, Brown has an extra 24 hours to get ready for Game 2. If he can go, Brown would provide a much-needed boost for the team on both ends of the court.

However, the 76ers could have a strong edge the rest of the way if they win Game 1 with Brown sidelined.

At that point, the 76ers would have then stolen home-court advantage, and they have been excellent at the Wells Fargo Center, winning 30 of their 41 regular-season games there.

Look for Philadelphia to take Game 1 (if Brown is sidelined) while Boston bounces back and wins Game 2. From that point out, the pick here is that the home team holds serve the rest of the way, which means that the 76ers take this one in six.