Boston Celtics at Brooklyn Nets Predictions 2/24/22

Boston Celtics (34-26 SU, 29-29-2 ATS) vs. Brooklyn Nets (31-28 SU, 22-36-1 ATS)
When: Thursday February 24 2022, 07:30 PM (ET)
Where: Barclays Center, Brookyln, New York
TV: TNT

Point Spread: BOS -7/BRO +7 (Opened at BOS -2 at WagerWeb)
Total: 213 (Opened at 213.5)
Money Line: Boston -278/Brooklyn +226
Power Rating:

Probable Starting Lineups

Boston Celtics PG Marcus Smart Off Inj, SG Jaylen Brown, SF Jayson Tatum, PF Al Horford, C Robert Williams Off Inj

Brooklyn Nets PG Patty Mills, SG Seth Curry, SF Bruce Brown, PF James Johnson Off Inj, C Andre Drummond

Key Injuries

Celtics
Marcus Smart: ankle (QUESTIONABLE) Robert Williams III: calf (QUESTIONABLE)

Nets
No Reported Injuries

The Brooklyn Nets host the Boston Celtics at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Tip-off is set for 7:30 AM ET.

Recent Form

The Boston Celtics come into this game with an overall record of 34-26, placing them 6th in the Eastern Conference. Throughout the season, Boston has struggled in their 29 road contests, sitting at 14-15. Over their last five games, the Celtics have played well, picking up four wins. During this stretch, Boston is averaging 117.0 points per game, 8.0 points more than their season average of 108.9. This uptick in offensive play has come while playing a group of opponents who are collectively giving up 110.0 points per contest. Boston comes into this game also playing well defensively, holding their opponents to just 97.0 points per game. An improvement on their season average of 103.5. In the Boston Celtic’s most recent game, the team fell to Washington by a score of 112-111.

The Brooklyn Nets come into this game with an overall record of 31-28, placing them 8th in the Eastern Conference. Throughout the season, Brooklyn has struggled in their 28 home contests, sitting at 13-15. Over the Net’s last five games, they have picked up just two wins. In this stretch, Brooklyn’s offense is scoring right in line with their season average, putting up 109.0 points per game. Combined, the Nets’ last five opponents are giving up 109.0 points per contest. Even though the Nets have struggled of late, they have shown improvements on the defensive end of the court, giving up just 107.0 points per game over their last five contests. This number is down from their season average of 110.8. In the Brooklyn Net’s most recent game, the team fell to Washington by a score of 117-103.

Individual Player Analysis

As Boston travels to take on the Brooklyn Nets, the Celtics’ leading scorer is Jayson Tatum. Through 56 games, Tatum is averaging 25 points. On the season, he has surpassed his season average in 45.0% of his games. As Tatum gets set to take on the Nets, he could be in line for a big game as Brooklyn is allowing their opponent’s top scorer to surpass their season average in 57.45 of their games. This figure places them 29th among NBA defenses. On the other side, Kevin Durant leads the Nets in scoring, averaging 29 points across his 36 games. Throughout the season, Durant has outscored his season average in 42.0% of his outings. However, not only will the Nets still be without Durant, but they will be forced to resume play without Kyrie Irving and newcomer Ben Simmons. Look for the Nets supporting cast to struggle as Boston has allowed their opponent’s leading scorers to surpass their season average at a rate of just 43.9%. This figure is good for a rank of 9th in the league.

Matchup Analysis

The Nets come into this game as the more efficient offensive team, averaging 108.1 points per 100 possessions. When playing as the superior offensive unit, Brooklyn is winning at a rate of 59%. These wins are coming by an average margin of 11.0 points. On the other side, the Celtics hold the advantage on the defensive end of the floor. So far, they have played 59 games as the better defensive team, picking up 34 wins.

The Historicals

Tonight’s game between Boston and Brooklyn will be their third meeting of the season. So far, each team has picked up one win.

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How the Public is Betting the Celtics vs Nets

67% are betting the Celtics against the spread.
52% are wagering on the game to go over the posted total of 213

Betting Trends Worth Noting

• The Celtics are 5-1 ATS in their last six games as a road favorite.
• The Celtics are 4-1 ATS in their last five games following an ATS loss.
• Nets are 5-1 ATS in their last six games playing on three or more days rest.
• Nets are 8-17 ATS in their last 25 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.

Joe’s Pick to Cover the Spread

Before the All-Star Break, the Boston Celtics were one of the hottest teams in the NBA, winning nine of their past ten games. This strong play helped them move into the six seed in the Eastern Conference. Look for the team to pick up where they left off as they will be facing a Nets team still dealing with injuries and roster turnover. I am taking the Celtics to cover the spread.