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The Boston Celtics will continue their road trip facing the Oklahoma City Thunder. It will be a battle at the Paycom Center as we share our NBA odds series and make a Celtics-Thunder prediction and pick.
The Celtics lead the head-to-head series 79-66. They split the two games last season, with the Thunder edging out the Celtics 127-123 in the game they won. However, the Celtics are 6-4 over the past 10 games against the Thunder, including 3-2 in the past five games in Oklahoma City.
Here are the Celtics-Thunder NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Celtics-Thunder Odds
Boston Celtics: +2 (-106)
Moneyline: +114
Oklahoma City Thunder: -2 (-114)
Moneyline: -134
Over: 221.5 (-114)
Under: 221.5 (-106)
How To Watch Celtics vs. Thunder
Time: 3:30 PM ET/12:30 PM PT
TV: FDSO, NBA TV, and NBCS Boston
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Celtics Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Celtics have tumbled down the rankings over the last week despite the major win over the Houston Rockets. Regardless, they are still the best team in the Eastern Conference and look every bit as fearsome as the team that won the championship last season. When they came into the game with the Rockets, there were questions as to how they would handle the pressure, especially on the back end of a back-to-back. In the end, the Celtics responded by thrashing the Rockets. They did not do it with explosive offense. Instead, they did it with suffocating defense.
The Celtics had a major second-half and held the Rockets to just 30 second-half points. Amazingly, that was a major halftime adjustment after allowing them to score 56 first-half points, including 31 points in the first quarter. The Celtics held the Rockets to 36.4 percent from the floor, including 27.8 percent from beyond the arc. Additionally, they won the board battle 41-37. The Celtics also did their part on offense, shooting 50.6 percent from the field, including 48.7 percent from beyond the arc.
Derrick White was the leading scorer in this game, finishing with 23 points while shooting 8 for 16 from the floor. Also, Jayson Tatum had 20 points while shooting 7 for 19. Jrue Holiday added 14 points while shooting 5 for 9 from the floor. Likewise, Kristaps Porzingis added 11 points while shooting 3 for 8. But the biggest boom for the Celtics came off the bench from Payton Pritchard, who added 20 points while shooting 8 for 10.
The Celtics showcased how they could win a game, even when their offense was not completely firing on all cylinders. Moreover, they did this without Jaylen Brown, highlighting how dangerous and deep this team was. The Celtics will have a tough challenge in this game, attempting to stop Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The Celtics will cover the spread if they can convert on their shooting chances. Then, they must contain Gilgeous-Alexander and prevent him from destroying them.
Why the Thunder Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Thunder have won 14 games in a row and will face their toughest test as they welcome the Celtics into town. Remarkably, they continued their run after a 117-107 win over the New York Knicks.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 33 points while shooting 12 for 26, including 2 for 3 from the triples. Likewise, Jalen Williams scored 20 points while shooting 8 for 17 from the hardwood. Luguentz Dort tallied 11 points while shooting 4 for 7 from the floor. Also, Aaron Wiggins added 19 points off the bench. Isaiah Hartenstein was a monster on the boards with 14 rebounds.
The Thunder won this game similarly to their previous 13 games. They shot the ball well, hitting 51.2 percent of their shots, including 51.2 percent from the triples. Furthermore, they held the Knicks to 47.8 percent from the floor, including 28.1 percent from beyond the arc. They did not dominate any other categories. Instead, they just simply outshot their opponents.
The Thunder will cover the spread if Gilgeous-Alexander can continue to stay hot and shoot the basketball well. Then, they must win the board battle against the Celtics and not allow them to hit shots from long range.
Final Celtics-Thunder Prediction & Pick
The Celtics are 14-20-1 against the spread, while the Thunder are 22-11-2 against the odds. Moreover, the Celtics are 7-8-1 against the spread on the road, while the Thunder are 11-5-1 against the odds at home. The Celtics are 2-3-1 against the spread when facing the Western Conference, while the Thunder are 7-2-2 against the spread when facing the Eastern Conference.
This is a possible NBA Finals preview, and I expect this game to go down to the wire. Given the close line, I still expect the Thunder to find a way to overcome the Celtics at home. This one will be the best game on Sunday, with the Thunder finding a way to cover the spread at home.
Final Celtics-Thunder Prediction & Pick: Oklahoma City Thunder: -2 (-114)
