The Boston Celtics host the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday afternoon in an important Eastern Conference matchup. The Celtics (38-27) are in fifth place in the Eastern Conference and second in the Atlantic Division behind the Sixers. They are trying to remain above the postseason play-in zone and have a three-game lead over No. 7 Toronto. The Nets (32-32) are in the eighth spot in the East, and are fourth in the Atlantic, 5.5 games behind Boston. Brooklyn has lost five of its past six, most recently a 113-107 setback to Miami on Thursday, while the Celtics have won 13 of 15 and mauled Memphis 120-107 on Thursday night.
Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. ET at TD Garden in Boston. Caesars Sportsbook lists Boston as a 4.5-point favorite in its latest Nets vs. Celtics odds, and the over-under for total points is 225.5. Before you make any Celtics vs. Nets picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past three-plus seasons. The model enters Week 19 of the 2021-22 NBA season on a stunning 71-44 roll on all top-rated NBA picks, returning more than $2,100. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Nets vs. Celtics, and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Celtics vs. Nets:
- Nets vs. Celtics spread: Boston -4.5
- Nets vs. Celtics over-under: 225.5 points
- Nets vs. Celtics money line: Brooklyn +160, Boston -190
- BKN: The Nets are 8-3 ATS in the last 11 meetings against Boston
- BOS: The Celtics are 7-7 ATS in their division games
Featured Game | Boston Celtics vs. Brooklyn Nets
Why the Celtics can cover
Boston is 33-31-1 ATS overall and has won two-thirds of its home games, going 15-17-1 ATS. It is one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, giving up eight fewer points per game than Brooklyn while scoring just a point less. The Celtics are fourth in the league in point differential (plus-5.4), and the Nets are 19th (minus-0.9). Boston leads the NBA in opponents field-goal shooting (43 percent) and is fifth against the 3-pointer (33.7). Brooklyn’s shooters are 21st in the NBA in both areas, shooting 45.6 percent from the field and 34.5 from beyond the arc.
The Celtics score 109.3 points per game, which ranks 17th, and Jayson Tatum averages 26 per contest. He has 70 points over the past two games. Jaylen Brown scores 23.2 points and chips in 6.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists. Marcus Smart plays a huge role on both ends, posting a team-high 5.5 assists and ranking fifth in the NBA with 1.7 steals per game.
Why the Nets can cover
Brooklyn is 5-4 ATS in the last nine games, though it lost six of those outright. Kevin Durant returned to the lineup Thursday after missing 21 games because of a knee injury. He scored 31 against the Heat, and the Nets hope to right their ship with their superstar back. They went 5-16 with Durant out, and he is averaging 29.3 points, which would rank third in the NBA if he had the games to qualify. Brooklyn went toe-to-toe with the East-leading Heat, leading by seven at halftime before Miami went to a zone defense that limited Brooklyn to 17 third-quarter points.
Durant also averages 7.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists, and he is expected to be joined by Kyrie Irving in the road matchup. Irving averages 21.5 points and 5.3 assists but has been mired in the COVID vaccination controversy and played just 15 games. Seth Curry scores 16.6 per game and is averaging three made 3-pointers a game. He is hitting 44.4 percent of his attempts from long range since arriving in a trade.
How to make Nets vs. Celtics picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning over on the total, predicting a combined 231 points. The model also says one side of the spread has all the value. You can only see the model’s pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Celtics vs. Nets? And which side of the spread has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism