The Brooklyn Nets entered the bubble with a roster depleted by injuries and COVID-19, leading most to believe wins would be extremely difficult to secure. The team has defied the odds thus far, however, as it has followed a loss in its first restart game with a pair of victories – including Tuesday’s huge upset over Eastern Conference-leading Milwaukee. The Nets look to make it three in a row when they face the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night. Brooklyn (32-35) was an 18.5-point underdog against the Bucks but came away with a 119-116 triumph, making it the biggest upset win based on the spread since Dallas defeated Seattle as a 19.5 underdog in 1993. Boston (44-23), meanwhile, is hoping to bounce back from a 112-106 loss to Miami on Tuesday.
Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET in Orlando. William Hill lists Boston as the 8.5-point favorite, holding steady from the opening line, while the over-under, or total number of points expected, is 226 in the latest Celtics vs. Nets odds. Before making any Nets vs. Celtics picks, check out the latest NBA predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, and it’s already returned well over $4,200 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks this season. It entered the week on a blistering 54-32 run on top-rated NBA spread picks, returning almost $1,900 on those picks alone. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Nets vs. Celtics. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the NBA odds from William Hill and trends for Celtics vs. Nets:
- Nets vs. Celtics spread: Boston -8.5
- Nets vs. Celtics over-under: 226 points
- Nets vs. Celtics moneyline: Brooklyn +310, Boston -380
- BKN: The Nets are 5-1 against the spread in the last six meetings
- BOS: PG Kemba Walker is expected to sit out Wednesday’s game
Why the Nets can cover
No one came up bigger for Brooklyn on Tuesday than Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, who finished with a career-high 26 points and hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put the team ahead for good. The 25-year-old French shooting guard has averaged 19.3 points since the 2019-20 NBA season resumed after recording more than 19 just once before the league halted play due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Nets had six players in double figures, and they did it without three of their top remaining players.
Caris LeVert (thigh), Joe Harris (back/hamstring) and Jarrett Allen (rest) all sat out Tuesday’s contest after combining for 83 points in Brooklyn’s 118-110 victory over Washington two days earlier. But all three are expected to be in the lineup against the Celtics, whom the Nets have defeated twice in three meetings this season. LeVert had a career night at Boston in their most recent matchup on March 3, pouring in a career-best 51 points en route to Brooklyn’s 129-120 overtime victory.
Why the Celtics can cover
Boston should be motivated for this contest after never leading in Tuesday’s loss to the Heat. The team did have six players reach double digits in points, however, with Jayson Tatum leading the way with 23. The 22-year-old power forward had a rough time against Milwaukee in the Celtics’ first restart game, producing only five points in 32 minutes, but has combined for 57 over his last two contests.
Jaylen Brown had his streak of eight straight games with at least 20 points halted Tuesday, as he finished with 18. But the shooting guard likely will begin another run with Kemba Walker expected to miss Wednesday’s contest. The 23-year-old Brown is third on the Celtics with a career-best average of 20.6 points and has produced a single-digit scoring total in only five of his 53 games this season.
How to make Nets vs. Celtics picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning under on the total, as only three members of the Nets are projected to score in double figures in the simulation. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Nets vs. Celtics? And which side of the spread cashes in well over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Celtics vs. Nets spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up over $4,200 on its NBA picks this season, and find out.
