The Boston Celtics will travel to South Texas to face off with the San Antonio Spurs at the AT&T Center on Saturday night. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Celtics-Spurs prediction and pick.
On Thursday, the Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks 124-95 at the American Airlines Center. Jayson Tatum led the way with 29 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists. Additionally, Jaylen Brown added 19 points and seven rebounds while, Marcus Smart had 15 points. Malcolm Brogdon came off the bench to score 15 points. Ultimately, the Celtics won because they held the Spurs to 37.8 percent shooting from the field and 21.9 percent from beyond the arc. Boston also won the battle of the boards 52-42.
The Spurs defeated the Detroit Pistons 121-109 on Friday night. Significantly, Tre James led the way with 25 points while shooting 11 for 18 from the field. Romeo Langford added 15 points. Meanwhile, Jakob Poeltl added 11 points and 16 rebounds. Malaki Branham had 14 points off the bench.
The Spurs lead the all-time series 58-41. Moreover, the Spurs have gone 7-3 in the last 10 games played between the teams. The Celtics are 19-30 historically in games played in San Antonio. Likewise, they are 1-9 over the last 10 games played at the AT&T Center.
The Celtics are 27-12 and at the top of the Eastern Conference standings. Also, they are 12-7 on the road this season. Boston is 5-5 over its last 10 games. Meanwhile, the Spurs are 13-26 and 14th in the Western Conference. The Spurs are 8-13 at the American Airlines Center. Also, they are 4-6 over their past 10 games.
Here are the Celtics-Spurs NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Celtics-Spurs Odds
Boston Celtics: -13 (-110)
San Antonio Spurs: +13 (-110)
Over: 235 (-110)
Under: 235 (-110)
How To Watch Celtics vs. Spurs
TV: WENS, NBCS
Stream: NBA
Time: 6:30 ET/3:30 PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Celtics Could Cover The Spread
The Celtics are once again at the top of the standings. Now, they seek to keep the momentum going and have two of the best players in the world. Tatum averages 30.7 points per game with a 47.1 percent field goal shooting percentage. Likewise, he averages 8.2 rebounds per game. Brown averages 26.9 points per game with a 49.8 percent field goal shooting percentage. Additionally, he averages 7.1 rebounds per contest.
The Celtics are the top-scoring team in the league, ranking first in points. Also, the Celtics are 10th in field goal shooting percentage. Boston is also seventh in 3-point shooting percentage. Moreover, the Celtics are the top free-throw shooting team in the league. The Celtics are also strong on the boards, ranking ninth in rebounds. Also, they are good at handling the ball, ranking eighth in turnovers. The Celtics remain strong on the defensive end, ranking fifth in blocks. Therefore, their performance on Thursday solidified their continued amazing defensive performance.
The Celtics could cover the spread if Tatum and Brown can continue to score consistently and keep the Spurs at bay. Moreover, Boston must continue to play solid defense to keep the Spurs down.
Why The Spurs Could Cover The Spread
The Spurs are a bad team that is in rebuilding mode. Thus, they are not winning many games this season. But they continue to compete regularly and will be tough to beat.
Keldon Johnson averages 21.6 points per game but left Friday's game with a hamstring injury. Ultimately, it might prevent him from playing in today's contest. The Spurs are already suffering without Devin Vassell, who has a knee injury and has been out for a couple of weeks. Now, the Spurs may be without their top two scorers and must likely depend on Jones to lead the scoring charge.
Jones averages 12.8 points per game and will have to pick it up again. Therefore, he gets his chance against the toughest defense in the league. Poeltl averages 11.9 points per game with a 64 percent shooting percentage. Likewise, he averages 9.3 rebounds per game.
The Spurs are 23rd in scoring and 14th in field goal shooting percentage. Meanwhile, they rank 18th in 3-point shooting percentage. The Spurs are also 29th from the charity stripe. Moreover, they are 23rd in rebounds. The Spurs also struggle at ball handling, ranking 27th in turnovers. Moreover, they need help on the defensive end, ranking 23rd in blocks.
The Spurs could cover the spread if they can stop Tatum and Brown. Moreover, they must get past the formidable wall the Celtics provide.
Final Celtics-Spurs Prediction & Pick
The Celtics are the best team in the NBA. Meanwhile, the Spurs are one of the worst. But the Spurs always play the Celtics tough and will find a way to cover the odds even without their top two players.
Final Celtics-Spurs Prediction & Pick: San Antonio Spurs: +13 (-110)
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