At 7:30 ET tonight, the Brooklyn Nets (21-31, 11th in the East) will host the Boston Celtics (41-12, 1st in the East) in an Atlantic Division matchup. The Celtics are currently favored by 8.5 points and have won four straight games. The over/under line is set at 227.5 points at DraftKings.
This game will be played at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and can be seen on NBCS. The Celtics (-360) are currently 1st in the Eastern Conference, while the Nets (+285) are 11th in the East.
Boston Celtics Preview
In the Eastern Conference, the Celtics are currently in 1st place with a record of 41-12. Against other teams in the East, they are 28-6 and 13-6 in non-conference games.
Boston has won four straight games and is 8.5-point favorites today vs. the Nets. This season, they have been favored in 50 of their 53 games and have a record of 39-11 as the favorite.
On the road, the Celtics are 16-9 this season and have won five straight games. Their average scoring margin on the road is +6.1 points per game.
In their last game, the Celtics beat the Heat by a score of 110-106. The O/U line for that game was 224 points, and Boston was favored by 8 points. This improved their ATS record to 23-28 for the season.
This season, the Celtics have an O/U record of 26-27. On average, their games have finished with 231.5 points, which is higher than today’s line of 227.5.
Heading into their game against the Brooklyn Nets, the Celtics are one of the best three-point shooting teams in the NBA. They lead the league in three-pointers made per game at 16.2 and are 4th in three-point shooting percentage at 37%. Overall, they are 5th in scoring at 120.4 points per game.
When playing on the road, the Celtics are averaging 118.6 points per game compared to 122.1 at home. So far this season, they have outscored the NBA scoring average in 69.8% of their games.
One area where the Celtics have struggled is in two-point shooting. They are 30th in the league in two-point attempts and 29th in two-point makes. However, their overall field goal percentage is 12th in the NBA.
On defense, the Celtics come into the game ranked 7th in the league in points allowed at 111.0 per game. Over their last three games, the team is allowing 117.3 points per contest (24th). Boston’s defense is currently forcing 11.9 turnovers per game, which is 6th in the league. Additionally, they enter the game ranked 2nd in blocked shots, with an average of 6.6 rejections per game.
Brooklyn Nets Preview
In their last game against the Spurs, the Nets won by a score of 123-103. The O/U line for that game was 232 points. As 6-point favorites, they covered the spread for an ATS win.
This season, the Nets have an O/U record of 25-27, and the under has hit in each of their last four games. On average, their games have finished with 229.1 points, and today’s O/U line is set at 227.5.
Brooklyn’s ATS record for the season is 24-26, including a record of 15-12 at home. As underdogs, they have gone 14-19 against the spread and are 9-26 as the underdog overall.
Going into today’s game, the Nets are 11th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 21-31. In the Atlantic Division, they are in 4th place. Against other Eastern Conference teams, they are 14-15 and 7-16 against the West.
On average, the Nets are being outscored by 4.6 points per game on the road compared to +1.4 points per game at home. Their ATS record at home is 15-12 and 9-14 on the road.
At 113.9 points per game, the Nets are 19th in the NBA in scoring. In terms of pace, they are 24th in the league at 97.8 possessions per game. Brooklyn is 25th in field goal percentage at 46%.
When it comes to three-point shooting, the Nets are 6th in the NBA in made threes at 13.9 per game. However, they are just 13th in three-point shooting percentage at 36%. In terms of free throws, Brooklyn is 25th in the league in both made free throws (15.9) and attempts (21).
So far this season, the Nets have outscored the NBA scoring average in 44.2% of their games. At home, Brooklyn is averaging 114.1 points per game compared to 113.7 on the road.
At present, the Nets’ defense is ranked 16th, allowing 115.2 points per game. Brooklyn struggled on the boards in their last game vs. the Spurs, giving up 9. For the game, San Antonio scored 103 points in the game.
The Celtics and Nets did not have any head-to-head matchups last season. But over the last three times playing each other, the Celtics have a record of 2-1. Against the spread, each team went 1-1-1 and finished with an over/under mark of 1-2. These games averaged a combined 228 points per contest. The last three times, the Celtics have matched up against the Nets on the road, they are 2-0-1 vs. the spread.
How to Bet Nets vs. Celtics in New York
Not only do we have the Celtics winning this one by a score of 132-116, but we see them covering the spread. Our pick is to grab the Celtics at -8.5. As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 227.5, and our model projects the Celtics and Nets to reach a combined total of 248 points. Our bet is on taking the over.
- SportsBettingNY ATS Prediction: Celtics -8.5
- SportsBettingNY OU Prediction: Over 227.5