The Brooklyn Nets (23-45) and Boston Celtics (49-19) will meet in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The game will broadcast live on NBA TV.
Let’s get into my Nets vs. Celtics prediction and NBA picks for Tuesday, March 18.
The Celtics are 13.5-point favorites over the Nets on the spread (Celtics -13.5), with the over/under set at 213.5 total points. Boston is a -900 favorite to win outright, while Brooklyn is +600 to pull off the upset.
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Nets vs. Celtics Prediction, Pick
Spread
My Nets vs. Celtics best bet is on Brooklyn to cover the spread at +13.5, with the best line currently available at DraftKings. As always, be sure to shop for the best line using our live NBA odds page.
Over/Under
I’m steering clear of the total in tonight’s matchup.
My Pick: Nets +13.5
Nets vs Celtics Odds
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- Nets vs. Celtics spread: Celtics -13.5
- Nets vs. Celtics over/under: 213.5 points
- Nets vs. Celtics moneyline: Nets +600, Celtics -900
- Nets vs. Celtics best bet: Nets +13.5 (-110)
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The Celtics have won eight straight games against the Nets. The latest victory was perhaps closer than they expected. Three days ago, the Celtics held on for a 115-113 victory in Brooklyn as the Nets covered as +11.5 points. Tonight, the teams will meet in Boston for the final matchup in the season series and the Celtics are again double-digit favorites at home.
Tonight, they will not have Jaylen Brown as he will be out with a back injury. He scored just eight points in 24 minutes in Saturday’s game. Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis, and Payton Pritchard picked up the slack for him, going over 20 points with Pritchard knocking down five triples. On Saturday, Pritchard set the NBA record for 3-pointers made off the bench and he is up to 220 for the season.
Tatum is also questionable for tonight’s game, so his status bears monitoring. Boston should get Derrick White back tonight and is a strong candidate to step up. In March, he is averaging 19.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.1 assists.
Cameron Johnson led the way with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists for Brooklyn. He has seen an expanded role as a playmaker this season as he is averaging a career-high 3.2 assists per game. He has recorded four assists or more in eight of his last 10 games.
Typically, you expect to see Johnson firing away from deep and he did make 2-of-8 3-point attempts on Saturday. However, Keon Johnson picked up the slack in that area, knocking down five 3s en route to 21 points and six rebounds on the night. The 23-year-old has been inconsistent of late with three games of 18 points or more, but also two games with three combined points in his last five games. He is averaging 10.2 points per game this season.
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The Nets have won just three of their last 13 games, but they have been very competitive in that stretch with seven losses by single digits. That includes against the Warriors, Thunder, Cavaliers, Lakers, and Celtics. Brooklyn has a -6.7 net rating in that span while Boston has a +6.8 net rating over its last 13 games. If recent performance suggests a seven-point Boston victory tonight, that means we are getting about seven points of value with this spread.
The season trends also suggest that Brooklyn is the side to back, particularly with Boston potentially shorthanded. Brooklyn is 36-31-1 against the spread this season and 19-12-1 ATS as a road underdog. Boston is 30-37-1 ATS this season and 15-20 as a home favorite. Getting nearly 14 points tonight, I have to back the Nets as well as Johnson in tonight’s parlay.
Johnson has recorded 22 points + assists in five of his past six games. He cleared this line with just points in his last game against Boston and has recorded 29 and 35 PA in his last two games. D’Angelo Russell may set up a few of his baskets. Russell has recorded six assists in three of his past four games. He has also had six assists in each of his last five games against the Celtics.
Meanwhile, Derrick White has scored 18 points in six of his last 10 games, finishing with 16 and 17 in two others. He has also scored 18 points in seven of his last 10 games without Brown and went for 41 in his last game without Tatum. If both of the Celtics’ leading men are out, expect White to spearhead the Celtics’ attack along with Kristaps Porzingis and Pritchard.
Best Bet: Nets +13.5 (-110)
Same Game Parlay Picks
- Cameron Johnson Over 21.5 Points + Assists
- Derrick White 18 Points
- D’Angelo Russell Over 5.5 Assists
Parlay Payout: +395
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Celtics vs. Nets Betting Trends
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