The Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets will square off in a best-of-seven first-round Eastern Conference playoff series, and the odds for this series show the Nets as a massive favorite. Boston got past the play-in tournament and now has a tougher test in a series against the powerhouse Nets. Brooklyn swept the season series against Boston and looks to be in a great spot to advance in a comfortable manner.

Celtics vs. Nets Series Odds (Updated 5/26)

Series Winner

Boston Celtics (+1800)

Brooklyn Nets (-8000)

Series Spread

Boston Celtics +2.5 (+440)

Brooklyn Nets -2.5 (-650)

Celtics vs. Nets Round 1 Series Schedule

Game 1: BOS 93-104 BKN

Game 2: BOS 108-130 BKN

Game 3: BKN 119-125 BOS

Game 4: BKN 141-126 BOS

Game 5: BOS 109-123 BKN

No. 2 Brooklyn Nets

The Nets came into this season as one of the most likely teams to win the title. Then, they acquired James Harden back in February and instantly became the championship favorites. The Big Three of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden is a defensive nightmare for any opposing club. This team slipped to the 2-seed mainly because of the injuries to each of these three guys at different periods of time. With the Big Three playing under 10 games together during the regular season, it'll be interesting to see how long it takes them to build chemistry on the court.

Brooklyn was 29-8 on its home court this season, which is notable because of home-court advantage in this series. Boston really struggled down the stretch and doesn't even look to be in the same league as the Nets. Once the Celtics lost Jaylen Brown, they fell out of contention until next season. The Nets swept the season series with a combined 45-point margin of victory and will look at this series as a tune-up for the second round.

No. 7 Boston Celtics

The Celtics entered this season with high aspirations after making a deep run in last year's postseason. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum seem to be a duo that will stick together and do a lot of winning in the future. Add Kemba Walker and Robert Williams to that equation and you have a solid core in Boston. The Celtics underperformed out of the gate and when they seemed to finally be getting it together, Jaylen Brown went down with a season-ending injury. He was in the midst of a career year and Celtics fans should be very excited about his future.

Truthfully speaking, Boston will lean on Jayson Tatum entirely. The 23-year-old forward put together another phenomenal season. Tatum averaged 26.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game in the regular season, which were all career-high marks for the fourth-year man. He is a once-in-a-generation type of talent that Boston can certainly build a team around. With a strong backcourt, the Celtics will pray that Williams' midseason ascendence isn't short-lived. Boston will need to wish upon a star and hope that the Nets beat themselves down the stretch.

Games 1-4 update: The Celtics were able to steal Game 3 from Brooklyn, but overall this series has been defined by the dominance of the Nets' Big Three on their way to a comfortable 3-1 series lead.

Nets-Celtics Series Prediction and Pick (5/26)

The Nets' sights are set way higher than this series. This is a team that was perfectly built for a championship run. The only two Eastern Conference teams that can challenge the Nets are the Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks. Boston is in a lower weight class and should be grateful to get another playoff series under its belt. If the Celtics push this series to six games, it should be looked at as a success after a tough season.

FINAL PICKS

Series Winner: Brooklyn Nets (-8000)

Series Spread: Brooklyn Nets -2.5 (-650)