Oddsmakers know what they’re doing, setting Boston as road favorites against Brooklyn. Odd reverse home/road splits should favor teams visiting Brooklyn, as is the case for Thursday’s 7:30 p.m. ET tip-off at Barclays Center.
Brooklyn (31-28) is fourth in the Atlantic Division and eighth in the Eastern Conference, though they sit just seven games behind the first-place Miami Heat. Should the Nets get healthy, they could make a run out of the play-in tournament and possibly even to the point of hosting a series, though they may not want to.
The Celtics (34-26) are 13-15 on the road but visit a Nets team who is 14-15 at home and 18-13 on the road. Brooklyn has looked unstoppable at times, but injuries and COVID-19 issues have forced their hand at times.
The line opened at Boston -2 and jumped to -5 as of this writing. The over/under opened at 215.5 and has since dropped to 214 as of this writing.
Boston Celtics Betting Preview
Boston is rested and ready to go. Marcus Smart and Robert Williams III are listed as probable, and the addition of Derrick White will allow the Celtics to incorporate a different look. Bringing back Daniel Theis also adds depth to the frontcourt.
The Celtics are third in the NBA in defense, allowing just 103.5 points per game. They have the best defensive efficiency, too, forcing teams to shoot 42.9% from the field. Boston is also the second-best rebounding team, grabbing 46.6 boards per game.
Meanwhile, their offensive efficiency has suffered, ranking 21st in both field goal percentage and 3-point percentage. Though they are the second-best free-throw shooting team, converting 81.4%.
Brooklyn Nets Betting Preview
It’s almost unheard of that a team would have reverse home/road splits, but with COVID-19 rules in New York, that’s the way it’s been for the Nets.
According to local legislation, Kyrie Irving, an unvaccinated individual, is unable to play in the city. Coupled with injury issues between Kevin Durant and the since departed James Harden, a skeleton Nets crew is left to play at the Barclays Center.
New acquisition Ben Simmons may not be available till March, Goran Dragic is listed out for conditioning, and Joe Harris has been out indefinitely with an ankle injury. There are still plenty of vets to carry the load with Seth Curry, Patty Mills, Andre Drummond, Blake Griffin, LaMarcus Aldridge, and others.
For as unstoppable as Brooklyn looked at times on the road, the acquisition of Simmons for Harden changes the dynamic of the team offensively, and an adjustment will have to be made to build continuity moving forward.
Free Betting Pick
The opening line was more fair for Celtics bettors, and though it’s been bumped up by three, it feels like it’s squarely in play with a rested Celtics squad. Boston is 30-29-1 against the spread this season and 25-34-1 on over/unders. Their counterparts are 23-34-2 against the spread and 29-29-1 on over/unders.
Boston covered four of its last six games before the break and was 4-6 on over/unders. After losing five straight against the spread, Brooklyn went 3-1-1 over its final five prior to the All-Star break and 5-1 in over/unders over their final six.
100% up to $3,000 Bonus
Bovada is our most recommended ONLINE CASINO and POKER ROOM for US players with excellent deposit options. Get your 100% signup bonus today.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.