The Brooklyn Nets visit TD Garden to face the Boston Celtics on Wednesday evening. Brooklyn came close to a Game 1 upset in the first round series, though Boston emerged victorious 115-114 in the opener on Sunday afternoon. The Nets aim to even the matchup in Game 2, with the Celtics seeking total command with a win. Robert Williams (knee) is out for Boston, with Ben Simmons (back) and Joe Harris (ankle) ruled out for Brooklyn.
Tip-off is at 7 p.m. ET in Boston. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Celtics as 3.5-point home favorites, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 226 in the latest Nets vs. Celtics odds. Before you make any Celtics vs. Nets picks, you need to see the NBA playoff predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's advanced computer 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 the first full week of the 2022 NBA playoffs on a stunning 86-56 roll on all top-rated NBA picks, returning almost $2,400. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Nets vs. Celtics and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Nets vs. Celtics:
- Nets vs. Celtics spread: Celtics -3.5
- Nets vs. Celtics over-under: 226 points
- Nets vs. Celtics money line: Celtics -160, Nets +140
- BKN: The Nets are 3-7 against the spread in the last 10 games
- BOS: The Celtics are 7-3 against the spread in the last 10 games
Why the Nets can cover
Brooklyn deploys a top-tier offense, and Game 1 was a reminder of that brilliance. Even in a narrow defeat, the Nets posted a 64.4 percent true shooting mark, headlined by 39 points from Irving. Irving averaged 27.4 points and 5.8 assists per game during the regular season, and he is joined by one of the best players in the world in Kevin Durant. Durant was shaky by his standards in Game 1, but he averaged 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per contest during the regular season, making 51.8 percent of his shot attempts and 38.3 percent of 3-point attempts.
Overall, the Nets scored more than 1.13 points per possession, but that figure shot to nearly 1.23 points per possession when the star duo was deployed together. The Nets were in the top six of the NBA in free throw accuracy (80.5 percent) and field goal accuracy (47.5 percent), with top-10 marks in assists per game, offensive rebound rate, second-chance points per game, and fast break points per game.
Why the Celtics can cover
Boston is known for its defense, and the Celtics throttled the Nets at times in Game 1, with Brooklyn producing only 1.25 assists for every turnover. However, Boston was also explosive on offense, with Jayson Tatum finishing with 31 points and eight assists to go along with the game-winning bucket. Tatum averaged 26.9 points and 8.0 rebounds per game this season, making the leap to superstardom, and he is joined by Jaylen Brown, who averaged 23.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.
Four members of the Celtics reached the 20-point mark in Game 1, and Boston ranked in the top six of the NBA in two-point accuracy (54.7 percent) and free throw accuracy (81.6 percent) during the regular season. The Celtics also made 13.2 3-pointers per game and converted 35.6 percent of long-range attempts. That offense combines with a sub-par Brooklyn defense, and the Celtics are elite on the defensive end. Boston led the NBA in defensive efficiency, field goal percentage allowed, 3-point percentage allowed, assists allowed, and two-point percentage allowed during the regular season.
How to make Nets vs. Celtics picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the point total, projecting 228 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in over 60 percent of simulations. You can only see the model's Celtics vs. Nets picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Nets vs. Celtics? And which side of the spread hits in over 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Nets vs. Celtics spread you need to jump on Wednesday, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.
