The 2022 NBA Playoffs continue Wednesday, April 20, with the Eastern Conference first-round showdown at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, so we bring you the best Nets vs. Celtics betting pick and odds.
Boston hosts Brooklyn for Game 2, and the Celtics are listed as 3.5-point favorites with a total of 226.5 points at Caesars NY Sportsbook. Last Sunday, the Celtics outlasted the Nets 115-114 as 4-point home favorites to take the first blood.Â
The Nets hope to tie the series   Â
The Brooklyn Nets (45-39; 33-48-3 ATS) shot 53.8% from the field and 45.8% from downtown in Game 1 and still suffered a tough loss. They allowed the Celtics to control the glass and post 14 offensive rebounds. Also, Boston outscored Brooklyn in the paint 56-32.
Kyrie Irving led the way for Brooklyn with 39 points, six assists, five rebounds, and four steals. He went 12-for-20 from the field and 6-for-10 from beyond the arc. Kevin Durant made only nine of his 24 attempts from the field, finishing with 23 points, four boards, three assists, and six turnovers.
Brooklyn finished the regular season riding a four-game winning streak. The Nets beat Cleveland 115-108 in the play-in tournament to clinch the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference. Over their last six outings, the Nets were scoring 115.3 points per 100 possessions (15th in the NBA) while yielding 109.5 in a return (5th).
The Celtics aim for their fifth straight win over Brooklyn             Â
The Boston Celtics (52-31; 43-38-2 ATS) won three of their four games against the Nets this past regular season, and that narrow win in Game 1 of their playoff series was the Celtics’ fourth consecutive victory over Brooklyn.
Jayson Tatum’s buzzer-beating layup decided the winner last Sunday, as the Celtics nearly blew an 11-point fourth-quarter lead. Tatum finished the game with 31 points and eight assists; Jaylen Brown had 23 points and four steals, while Al Horford and Marcus Smart accounted for 20 points apiece.
The Celtics, who finished second in the East, have won four of their final five games of the regular season. They’ve scored a whopping 130.1 points per 100 possessions during that stretch (1st in the NBA) while surrendering 111.4 points in a return (8th).
Trends:
Brooklyn:
- 3-7 ATS in the last ten games overall
Boston:
- 4-1 ATS in the last five games overall
- 4-1-1 ATS in the last six games against the Atlantic Division
Brooklyn Nets vs. Boston Celtics Pick
The Celtics have been one of the hottest teams in the league over the last couple of months. They’ve gone 16-4 straight up and 13-6-1 ATS in their last 20 games at any location, so I’m expecting the Celtics to extend their lead in this series.
Boston is arguably a better defensive team than Brooklyn. Also, the Nets lack balance in their game and lean way too much on Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. I’m expecting another tight battle, but the Celtics should have enough firepower to prevail over the Nets in crunch time.
Pick: Take Boston Celtics -3.5 at -110
The Total:
The opening clash went just over a 226.5-point line, so the over is now 8-1 in the last nine encounters between the Nets and Celtics. If you like to follow the betting trends, you won’t have a dilemma in this one.
The total has gone over in 11 of the Nets’ last 16 games against the Atlantic Division. Also, the over is 11-2 in the Celtics’ previous 13 games overall, and it is 5-1 in their previous six showings on the home court. Boston will look to slow the pace down in this matchup, but the Nets have to try to speed up things in order to upset the odds.
Pick: Go over 226.5 points at -110
