It's time for another betting prediction and pick inside the NBA as we turn our coverage towards this next cross-conference tilt. The Boston Celtics (43-21) visit the San Antonio Spurs (47-17) as the two sides conclude their season series, San Antonio leading 1-0. Check our NBA odds series for the Celtics-Spurs prediction and pick.
The Boston Celtics are second in the Eastern Conference, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-98 their last time out. They've won nine of their last 11 games and have closed their distance on the Detroit Pistons by 2.5 games, completely upgrading now with Jayson Tatum back in action.
The San Antonio Spurs are second in the Western Conference, three games back of Oklahoma City following their most recent 145-120 win over the Houston Rockets. Notching their fourth-straight win, they're 15-1 over the last 16 games and quickly closing the gap in the West.
NBA odds courtesy of DraftKings
Celtics vs. Spurs Odds
Boston Celtics: +3.5 (-115)
San Antonio Spurs: -3.5 (-105)
Over: 221.5 (-115)
Under: 221.5 (-105)
Celtics vs. Spurs Key Injuries
Boston: Payton Pritchard (neck – Questionable) / Nikola Vucevic (finger – OUT)
San Antonio: Mason Plumlee (reconditioning – Questionable) / Lindy Waters III (illness – Questionable) / Harrison Barnes (ankle – OUT)
Celtics vs. Spurs Betting Trends
- The San Antonio Spurs are 24-6 at home. The Boston Celtics are 22-11 on the road.
- The Spurs have gone 36-11 as favorites this season. The Celtics are 9-8 as underdogs.
- The Spurs are 37-28 ATS overall, 18-12 ATS at home. The Celtics are 38-26 ATS overall, 22-11 ATS on the road.
- The Celtics are 7-3 outright in the last 10 games of the head-to-head. The Spurs are 6-4 ATS.
- The Celtics are 5-1 ATS in their last six games.
- The Spurs are 12-4 ATS in the last 16 games.
- The total has gone UNDER in Boston's last five games.
- The Spurs are 8-0 in their last eight home games.
Keys to Celtics vs. Spurs Matchup
The San Antonio Spurs took the first matchup 100-95 on the road in Boston behind 21 points from both De'Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama. Fox added six assists and a steal while Wembanyama soared for three blocks, completely containing the Celtics offense with their active defense. The Spurs are third in the league in defensive rating (110.2) and trail only the Thunder in net rating, so it comes as no surprise to see them the betting favorites after already having beaten this Celtics team. However, with Jayson Tatum making his remarkable return from injury, the dynamic completely changes in this second meeting.
Jayson Tatum has made two starts since last week, logging exactly 27 minutes in each outing. Clearly playing under a strict minutes restriction, he managed a near triple-double (15-12-7) during his season debut while adding a cool 20 points against a strong Cavaliers' defense. He'll slowly start ramping up the production once the NBA Playoffs begin, but the Celtics are already looking like a much more cohesive team with him back in the lineup.
For the San Antonio Spurs, they've been playing their best basketball of the season since before the All-Star break and continue to ride this hot streak all throughout March. Not only has Victor Wembanyama been able to elevate his play against some of the best teams in the league, but De'Aaron Fox is averaging 22.7 PPG over his last three games while Stephon Castle is quietly putting together an All-NBA defensive season in his own right. The pair is averaging a collective 2.5 steals per game, making it difficult for any back court to see production or fluidity against them.
Still, the Celtics were clearly able to integrate Tatum back into the lineup seamlessly while Jaylen Brown has continued to lead the scoring efforts. With Wembanyama clogging the painted area with his length, we could see Tatum test himself from beyond the arc during this game as Boston will lean on their three-point shooting.
Celtics vs. Spurs Prediction and Pick
It's worth noting that the last time these two teams faced off, the Celtics managed to lead for 81% of the game with their largest lead growing to nine points. It wasn't until the fourth quarter, fueled by a late charge from Wembanyama, that the Spurs were able to take over the game with their defense and win in the final minutes.
With Jayson Tatum on the floor this time around, it's hard to imagine the Celtics floundering a double-digit lead if they're able to grow one during this game. It'll be interesting to see how the Spurs' defense handles a new layer to Boston's offense, but they look laser-focused on that end of the floor during this current winning streak.
The Spurs have risen to the occasion against the NBA's best teams and they should be able to come away with the win in this one. The injuries to Pritchard and Vucevic will be crucial to the Celtics' depth and Stephon Castle should be able to put some pressure on Jayson Tatum from putting his team over the top in this one. Let's roll with the Spurs at home in what should be a tense game.
Final Celtics-Spurs Prediction & Pick: San Antonio Spurs -3.5 (-105): OVER 221.5 (-115)
