The Boston Celtics travel to New York to take on the Brooklyn Nets in a star studded matchup. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Celtics-Nets prediction and pick.
The Nets hold an overall record of 24-13, and they are 20-17 against the spread. The Nets closed the first half of the season with a blowout win over the Houston Rockets.
The Celtics stand at 19-17 overall and 17-19 against the spread. Boston is coming off a win over the Toronto Raptors.
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the opening Celtics-Nets odds.
NBA Odds: Celtics-Nets Odds
Boston Celtics +2 (-110)
Brooklyn Nets -2 (-110)
Over 233.5 Points (-110)
Under 233.5 Points (-110)
Why The Celtics Could Cover The Spread
For only the third time this season, the Celtics will have their four best wing players active and healthy. Marcus Smart, Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown are all expected to play tonight.
Marcus Smart's return couldn't come at a better time. Against a Brooklyn team loaded with perimeter talent, the Celtics will need Smart to be on his toes immediately.
The Nets get 38.0% of their points from the three-point line, the fourth highest figure in the league. Thankfully for Boston, their three-point defense has been a strong point over the season.
The Celtics have held opponents to the 11th lowest three-point percentage, and this is without Smart for half of their games. A combination of Tatum, Smart, and Brown harassing perimeter players is a three-point shooter's nightmare. Making Irving and Harden uncomfortable from deep will be a necessity for the C's to pull the upset tonight.
The last time these two met, the Nets shot 52% from deep and got seven treys from Kevin Durant. With no Durant and a defense that is able to switch nearly every matchup, the C's have a much better chance at bringing this number back to earth.
Offensively, the Celtics need to pound the painted area and focus on getting quality looks. The Nets give up 116.1 points per game, the fourth-most in the league. Brooklyn has allowed the second-most field goals made in the NBA.
The key here for Boston is to not fall into the trap that the Nets love to set in a fast-paced, three-point crazy game.
Brooklyn thrives in games with plenty of possessions and three-point shots. Few can hang around with Brooklyn's shooters. The Celtics need to set the pace, make the Nets defenders work, and make this a grind-it-out game.
Why The Nets Could Cover The Spread
Brooklyn was playing some of the best basketball of the season coming into the All-Star break.
The Nets closed the first half of the season on a 10-1 run, covering in all of their wins. This success came with Durant only playing one of the eleven games.
Perhaps the stat that stands out the most for Nets bettors is how successful the team has been against contenders. Brooklyn is 8-2 against teams .500 or better since the Harden trade, with wins over the Lakers, Warriors, Bucks, and Clippers.
With another chance to prove they should rule the East, it's a good bet the Nets show up to play tonight.
While the Celtics have been good defensively, no one has stopped the Nets offense. In their last ten matchups, Brooklyn has topped 120 points a whopping seven times.
James Harden has been on an absolute tear over the span, averaging 28.3 points, 11.5 assists, and 9.3 rebounds as a one-man wrecking ball. The Celtics have solid perimeter defenders, but no one is stopping him one on one at the moment. If the C's start to double, it's likely Harden gets another double-double as he finds his open shooters.
Defensively, the Nets don't put up pretty numbers, but the Celtics' offensive scheme falls in their hands. Boston is loaded with individual scorers, and gets a huge chunk of their points from Tatum, Brown, and Walker isolation plays. The Celtics rarely pass the ball, averaging the fourth-least assists in the NBA.
Brooklyn will be happy to give the trio contested one on one jumpers all night, a shot that all three love. The Celtics get the 8th most points via the midrange jumper in the league.
Look for the Nets to shoot early and often from deep and force the Celtics to try to get their points from tough individual takes.
Final Celtics-Nets Prediction & Pick
The way this Brooklyn offense has been clicking makes it extremely difficult to bet against them. They haven't lost a single game with two of their big three healthy in over a month, and Boston will be still adjusting to the return of Smart. I'll the Nets to stay hot and cover the small spread here on their home court.
FINAL PICK: BKN -2
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