The Brooklyn Nets open the second half of the season with an intriguing test as the Nets host the Boston Celtics on Thursday in a potential postseason preview. Brooklyn is just 13-15 at home this season, navigating roster issues, and the Nets are 31-28 overall. Boston is 34-26 overall and 14-15 on the road. Kevin Durant (knee), Kyrie Irving (ineligible), Ben Simmons (reconditioning), and Joe Harris (ankle) are out for the Nets.
Caesars Sportsbook lists Boston as a nine-point road favorite, and tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. The total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, or the Over-Under, is 214.5 in the latest Celtics vs. Nets odds. Before you make any NBA predictions with the Celtics vs. Nets match-up, you need to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection 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 18 of the 2021-22 NBA season on a stunning 69-41 roll on all top-rated NBA picks, returning almost $2,300. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has broken down the Nets vs. Celtics matchup, and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the NBA odds and betting lines for Celtics vs. Nets:
- Nets vs. Celtics spread: Celtics -9
- Nets vs. Celtics over-under: 214.5 points
- Nets vs. Celtics money line: Celtics -420, Nets +320
- BOS: The Celtics are 19-19-1 against the spread in conference games
- BKN: The Nets are 14-19-1 against the spread in conference games
Why the Celtics can cover
Boston's defense has been tremendous all season long, and the Celtics are also playing at an elite overall level in the recent past. Boston is scoring more than 1.13 points per possession since Jan. 1, showcasing tangible offensive improvement, and the Celtics also have the NBA's best defense over that sample. That leads to the league's top net rating in 2022, out-scoring opponents by 12.6 points per 100 possessions. For the full season, Boston is making 81.4 percent of free throw attempts, No. 2 in the league, and the Celtics are potent on the offensive glass with nearly a 28 percent offensive rebound rate.
Brooklyn's defense has also cratered lately, with the third-worst defensive efficiency mark in the NBA since Jan. 1. While the Nets are threatening on offense, Boston is No. 2 in the league in defensive rating, and the Celtics lead the league in field goal percentage allowed and two-point percentage allowed through the first half of the 2021-22 campaign.
Why the Nets can cover
More help is on the way soon, but Brooklyn got solid contributions from Seth Curry and Andre Drummond before the break. Both were acquired as part of the James Harden trade with Philadelphia. Curry had back-to-back 20-point games his first two times in a Brooklyn uniform, while Drummond is averaging 12.3 rebounds per game through three contests with the Nets.
Patty Mills is shooting 41.9 percent from 3-point range this season, so Brooklyn still has multiple scoring options, even with the headliners sidelined. The Nets haven't been great against the spread this season, but they do have an 11-9 ATS mark as underdogs. They also covered in five out of their last six before the break.
How to make Celtics vs. Nets picks
SportsLine's model is leaning under on the total, projecting 211 combined points. It also says one side of the spread is hitting almost 60 percent of the time. You can only get the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Nets vs. Celtics? And which side of the spread is hitting almost 60 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side to back, all from the advanced model on a 69-41 run on its top-rated NBA picks, and find out.
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