The Celtics had a very shaky start to the season but have made some major adjustments and are now right back where they’ve been for the past five seasons, not good enough for the top three seeds but leaps and bounds better than any other of the bottom two seeds. They sit in the 6th seed right now with a record of 31-27, all thanks to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, both averaging 23+ points per game.
Brooklyn Nets Betting Preview: Hobbling to the finish
The Nets have a slew of injuries that I already mentioned, but the biggest gut-punch of the season so far has been the immediate retirement of LaMarcus Aldridge. Aldridge had spent just nine days with the team but had to suddenly retire for health concerns due to an irregular heartbeat. Also with the news that James Harden suffered a setback in his rehab from a strained hamstring leaving him with no timetable for a return, was a major blow to the sails as well. With their depth, I believe the Nets can stay afloat just long enough for the two superstars Kevin Durant and James Harden, to return for the playoffs.
The Nets are 5-5 in their last ten and have an overall record of 29-30 against the spread this season. But on the other hand, they are 5-2 this season against the spread as the home underdog and now have a 3-2 overall record with just Kyrie on the floor. The Nets are 2-0 in the season series against the Celtics, and in both games they faced off, Brooklyn covered the spread.
Boston Celtics Betting Preview: Getting hot at the right time
The Celtics have quietly won seven of their last eight games, with the only one loss against the Bulls. They currently sit at 32-27 in the 6th seed in the eastern conference. Star guard Jaylen Brown is currently battling an injury and was held out of the first leg of their back-to-back on Thursday night, so I can’t imagine he plays tonight on the second leg of their back-to-back.
The Celtics have struggled on the road this season against the spread, only having a 13-16 record. To add fuel to the fire, the Celtics are also only 7-8 against the spread as the away team underdog. The Nets also have won both of the previous two games, and they’ve covered a 4.5 point spread in both of those victories.
Boston and Brooklyn Odds and Lines
William Hill has opened the odds with the Nets favored by 4.5 points with the over/under set at 226.5.
Free Play of the night
My free pick of the night is Nets -4.5.
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