Boston Celtics will host the Brooklyn Nets in their NBA playoffs first-round opening game at TD Garden. The home side has improved its form lately, and they want to continue in the same fashion. The visitors have been running hot recently, and they will search for a surprise on the road.
Boston had more time to recover and prepare for this game since they didn’t need to go through play-in matches. The home side is confident ahead of this series and looks forward to celebrating a win on the home court. On the other hand, the Nets snatched their first opportunity to enter the post-season. They have enjoyed a good winning streak which they want to continue in the playoffs.
Boston Celtics – Will they remain confident on the home court?
The Celtics had a pretty successful regular season campaign, managing to secure the 2nd seed ahead of the playoffs. They were at a 51-31 record in the Eastern Conference, finishing just two wins below the top-placed Miami Heat. Boston closed their regular-season action with a comfortable 139-110 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on the road. They had a very good 54.5 field goal percentage, while Jayson Tatum was the best player on the court with 31 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and one steal for only 26 minutes in the game.
Tatum has also been the leading player in the Celtics’ offense this season with 26.9 points, eight rebounds, 4.4 assists, and a steal per contest. Jaylen Brown has produced 23.6 pts, 6.1 rebs, 3.5 assists, and 1.1 steals, while Marcus Smart tops the assists and steals charts with 5.9 and 1.7, respectively, followed by 12.1 pts per game. Robert Williams III controls the paint with 9.6 rebounds per game while contributing with ten points on average. However, he won’t be able to help his teammates in this encounter.
Expected Line-Up: Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, Daniel Theis
with best odds
Brooklyn Nets – Can they extend their winning streak?
The Nets have been running hot lately, booking five straight wins ahead of the post-season. They finished 7th in the Eastern Conference with a 44-38 record, being two wins behind the Chicago Bulls. Although they needed to go through the play-in, Brooklyn was confident in their first match, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-108. Kyrie Irving led them to the post-season ticket by scoring 34 points, followed by 12 assists, three rebounds, and a steal. With a very good 53.6 field goal percentage, Brooklyn couldn’t afford to lose that match.
Kevin Durant has been Brooklyn’s most valuable player in the regular season with 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game. Kyrie Irving averages 27.4 pts, 5.8 assists, 4.4 rebs, and 1.4 steals, while Seth Curry produces 14.9 points per contest. Andre Drummond controls the paint with 10.3 rebounds and 11.8 pts per match, while three other players have contributed with a double-digit number of points for Brooklyn. Thanks to a clean bill of health, the Nets will be fully ready for this encounter.
Expected Line-Up: Kyrie Irving, Seth Curry, Bruce Brown, Kevin Durant, Andre Drummond
Expert Pick #1 – Brooklyn Nets +4 @-110
It is going to be a close encounter, and I can see it going easily either way. However, I’m going to back the Nets in the underdog role, as they have been on fire lately. Therefore, the Nets to cover the spread will be my first pick for this matchup.
Expert Pick #2 – Over 224 @-110
Eight of the Celtics’ last ten matches went over the margin, and another efficient match is on the cards here. Although Brooklyn hasn’t been involved in so many high-scoring games lately, I expect this one to go over a 224 margin. I’ll back the Over as the second bet here.
Expert Pick #3 – Brooklyn Nets Over 110.5 @-110
The Nets have been shooting over 50% from the field in their last five games, and they might continue in the same fashion. They go to this one with a completely healthy roster, and I expect them to produce more than 110 points in this one. It is going to be my third pick at the same odds as the first two.
