The Boston Celtics will continue their playoff push as they head out to the Mile High City to take on the red-hot Denver Nuggets. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Celtics-Nuggets prediction and pick.
Both teams are coming off exciting late victories and will each look to build on the momentum. Denver is the hottest team in the league and Boston has the looks of a team ready to turn a corner. The Celtics won the previous head-to-head meeting 112-99 in Boston.
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the opening Celtics-Nuggets odds.
NBA Odds: Celtics-Nuggets Odds
Boston Celtics +7 (-110)
Denver Nuggets -7 (-110)
Over 221.5 Points (-110)
Under 221.5 Points (-110)
Why The Celtics Could Cover The Spread
The Celtics are starting to click as they're coming off a 145-point outing in their last game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Jayson Tatum led the way with a career night for the C's in the win. Tatum dropped 53 points on 16-of-25 shooting and added 10 boards. This is an impressive feat regardless of who you're playing, but Boston can't expect this sort of offensive production against one of the best teams in the league.
Boston has won two straight and four out of its last five games. The Celtics are trying to stockpile wins down the stretch to solidify their playoff spot. Brad Stevens and his squad will have to continue to win games in an attempt to avoid the play-in tournament. A key for Boston will be the consistent play of All-Star Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart down the stretch, and all hands must be on deck against a Nuggets squad that is firing on all cylinders.
Why The Nuggets Could Cover The Spread
The Nuggets are undoubtedly the hottest team in the NBA right now. They have won eight straight games and are now a serious threat in the Western Conference. They're currently the fourth seed out West and continue to climb the standings rapidly. Denver will be the first to tell you that the deadline acquisition of Aaron Gordon has added a spark to this team that has catapulted them to sustained success. The Nuggets will look to capitalize on the altitude against a Boston team that just had to survive an overtime thriller in their previous game.
Nikola Jokic led the way for Denver in its previous win against the San Antonio Spurs. Jokic registered 26 points, 13 rebounds, and 14 assists in the victory, and it goes without saying that he is in fact the catalyst on this team and the MVP favorite. Denver shot a staggering 54.4% from the field in the win. The Nuggets are the fourth-best scoring team in the league and the second-best squad in field goal percentage. Denver is arguably the deepest team in the league and now faces a Boston team that has struggled against winning teams of late, going 2-6 ATS in the last eight games against teams over .500.
Final Celtics-Nuggets Prediction & Pick
The Nuggets will extend their winning streak to nine straight against Boston. They will be the better team in all facets of this game, even if Jamal Murray doesn't play due to a knee injury. If the Celtics' last win proved anything to us, it's that they are clearly a middle-of-the-pack team in 2021. We saw what Joel Embiid was able to do against Robert Williams earlier this week. Nikola Jokic is right at Embiid's level and will be the game-changer in this matchup. No Evan Fournier will hurt a Celtics team that will have to score to keep up. Plus, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are questionable.
FINAL PICK: Denver Nuggets -7 (-110)
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