We're back and ready to bring you coverage for our New Year's Day slate of action around the NBA as we're set for another betting prediction and pick. The Boston Celtics (25-6) will take on the San Antonio Spurs (5-26) with both teams heading in opposite directions on the season. Check out our NBA odds series for our Celtics-Spurs prediction and pick.

The Boston Celtics are currently leading the Atlantic Division and they're the first-place team in the Eastern Conference. They're one of the hotter teams in the NBA right now having won nine of their last 10 games. They also come into this one riding a five-game winning streak and are fresh off a 120-118 win over the Toronto Raptors. They hope to continue their dominance against the struggling Spurs.

The San Antonio Spurs are currently last in the Southwest Division and they're the last place team in the Western Conference. They've gone 2-8 in their last 10 games, but they've seen a number of lengthy losing streaks in the process. They lost their most recent game 128-134 to the Portland Trail Blazers and they'll be hoping to bounce back with a win as massive underdogs.

Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NBA Odds: Celtics-Spurs Odds

Boston Celtics: -14 (-106)

San Antonio Spurs: +14 (-114)

Over: 239.5 (-112)

Under: 239.5 (-108)

How to Watch Celtics vs. Spurs

Time: 7:00 p.m. ET/ 4:00 p.m. PT

TV: NBC Sports Boston, NBA League Pass

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Celtics Could Cover The Spread

The Boston Celtics have a had a couple of close calls over the last two games as they narrowly escaped the Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors by single-digit margins. They were pushed in overtime against the Pistons and Kristaps Porzingis saw one of his best games as a Celtic, scoring 35 points and grabbing eight rebounds in the process. He's there main catalyst inside the paint and we're reminded every so often of how special of a shooter he is. The matchup between him and Victor Wembanyama will be a fun one to follow all game, but expect Porzingis to have a sizable advantage over Wemby with his similar length and more physical play.

Jaylen Brown has also taken center-stage in this Celtics offense and they're a drastically better team when he's shooting hot from the field. After a short one-game absence, he returned to the lineup and scored 31 points in their last win over the Raptors. He's been heavily tasked with finding and creating his own shots down the stretch, but he does a great job of recognizing pressure and dishing the ball to the open man. He found Luke Kornet in the corner during their last game and it resulted in the go-ahead bucket that eventually sealed the game. If Brown can continue attacking with both his scoring and his passing, there's no way the Celtics shouldn't win this game.

Why The Spurs Could Cover The Spread

After a career scoring performance from Victor Wembanyama that saw them grab a seldom win on the season, the Spurs fell in the second game of their back-to-back series against the Trail Blazers. Wembanyama was sidelined with an injury during that game, but he doesn't carry a designation on the injury report ahead of this one. The thought is that they're giving him extra rest with the season heating up and they'll need his legs fresh and healthy if they want to contend in games like this. Although they have a slim chance to make the playoffs at the point, it serves as the perfect opportunity for them to grow under the Spurs' system and continue to build chemistry as a team.

Keldon Johnson and Dylan Vassell are going to be major pieces in the success of this San Antonio team moving forward. They're the most versatile scorers on the roster and they're able to create space and find their own shots. As opposing teams begin to game plan around Victor Wembanyama and his size, it leaves the door open for Vassell and Johnson to make an impact and score on softer defenses. Johnson led the way last game in Wembanyama's absence and he'll have to have a similar performance against the forwards of Boston if they want a shot at covering this game.

Final Celtics-Spurs Prediction & Pick

This will be a fun game to watch when looking at the matchup between Kristaps Porzingis and Victor Wembanyama. Both big men are very talented scorers and it'll be interesting to see two unicorns go at-it in the paint. The Celtics have the clear edge in this game and there's no reason to fade them against the Spurs. However, they've been in some close games against worse teams recently, so this one may come down to the fourth quarter for both teams. Let's take the Spurs to cover for our official prediction.

Final Celtics-Spurs Prediction & Pick: San Antonio Spurs +14 (-114)