Check out our free Celtics vs Nets pick and preview for this NBA game in Brooklyn. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this NBA matchup.
Celtics vs Nets NBA Pick & Preview
- Sport: NBA
- Teams: Boston Celtics at Brooklyn Nets
- Where: Brooklyn at Barclays Center
- Date: Thursday, January 12th
- Betting Odds BKN +3, BOS -151 | BKN +126 O/U 227.5
The Celtics come into today’s matchup with an overall record of 30-12. So far, the team has gone 22-19-1 against the spread. Against the Nets, the Celtics are going for their 5th straight win, posting an average scoring margin of 13.25 points per game in this stretch.
Boston will look to keep things rolling, as they previously beat the Pelicans by a score of 125-114. Heading into the game, they were 9-point favorites against the spread, giving them an ATS win. Boston entered the second half with a 6-point lead, and were able to slightly extend that margin and prevent a second-half comeback by the Pelicans. Leading the team in scoring was Jaylen Brown, as he contributed 41 points while hitting 71.4% of his shots.
So far, the Nets have put together an overall record of 27-13 while going 20-19-1 vs the spread. In today’s game, Brooklyn will look to extend their 2 game-winning streak. Over this stretch, they have an average scoring margin of 3.5 points.
The Nets are coming off a 102-101 win over the Heat. Although they came away with a straight up win, it was not enough to cover the spread as they entered as 2 point favorites. Brooklyn went on to win the game, as they led by 2 heading into halftime. In the win, Kyrie Irving led the team in scoring with 29 points on a field goal percentage of 47.6%.
Head To Head Recap & Stats
In last year’s head-to-head meetings, the Celtics averaged 121.25 points per game vs Brooklyn, which was an increase over their season-long average. While the Celtics saw a boost in scoring, the Nets averaged 110.0 points per contest in a head-to-head meeting vs Boston. This figure was similar to the season-long average. Boston has an ATS record of 4-1 in the previous 5 matchups vs Brooklyn. This mark has come on an average scoring margin of +6 points per game in favor of the Celtics. The over-under record in these same games is 2-3, with the teams combining for an average of 216 points per game.
Odds & Free Betting Analysis For This NBA Game
The Boston offense will take the floor in today’s game, with the league’s 2nd ranked offense at 118.6 points per game. So far, the Celtics are averaging 99.8 possessions per game, which places them below the NBA average. Although the team tends to play at a more deliberate pace, they are currently one of the more efficient shooting teams, connecting on field goal attempts at a rate of 47.8%.
So far, the Celtics have played well defensively, as they are ranked 1st in the league at 104.48 points per contest.
On offense, Jayson Tatum leads the Celtics in scoring at 30.8 points per game, placing him 4th in the NBA. Overall, Tatum has hit 47.1% of his shots while accounting for 24.3% of the team’s looks from the field. In today’s game, he will be working against a defensive unit that is 26th in points allowed to power forward. At 27.2 points per game, Jaylen Brown is the 2nd leading scorer for the Celtics. For the season, he is 42nd in the league in player efficiency rating while posting a field goal percentage of 49.8%.
This season, the Brooklyn offense is averaging 114.6 points per game. When looking at the team’s pace of play, the Nets are currently below the league average in possessions per game, averaging just 98.0 per contest. Defensively, Brooklyn has had its problems, giving up an average of 112.12 points per game (18th).
Brooklyn will be relying on Kyrie Irving to provide a strong scoring performance in today’s game against Boston. Kevin Durant has been ruled out. So far this season, Durant has been the team’s leading scorer, with an average of 29.7 points per game. Irving is 2nd on the team with 26.0 points per game, which places him 17th in the NBA. In 30 games, he has hit 48.8% of his field goal attempts and is averaging 4.9 rebounds per game.
Celtics vs Nets Pick
- Free Spread Prediction: Celtics -3.0
- Free Total Prediction: Over 227.5
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