Brooklyn Nets vs Boston Celtics Prediction, Odds, Best Bets - Opening Week
Boston just scored 134 points in this building against Chicago, and Jayson Tatum leads the Celtics in points, rebounds and assists through three games. Brooklyn arrives winless behind a defense allowing 123.7 points per game, but Julius Randle carried the Nets close at Cleveland. A big home number against a visitor that can score is the tension at the Garden tonight.
The Matchup
Boston's week turned on Monday night. The Celtics lost their opener at Detroit, beat New York 107-103 at home, then ran Chicago out of the Garden 134-99. They are 2-1, scoring 118.0 points per game and allowing 107.7, and Tatum has been the whole show so far. He leads Boston at 24.0 points, 8.0 assists and 6.7 rebounds per game.
Paul George gives the Celtics a second star on the wing, and Payton Pritchard keeps the second unit moving. With three games played, this season's numbers still sit alongside last season's, when Boston went 56-26. The names say contender. The first week says a contender still settling in.
Brooklyn is 0-3, and the losses split two ways. The Nets lost by 7 to Charlotte and by 4 at Cleveland, then got run off their own floor by Indiana, 136-109. They score 111.0 points per game and allow 123.7, and everything runs through Randle. He leads Brooklyn at 22.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game, and Michael Porter Jr. is the second scoring option beside him. Last season Brooklyn finished 20-62, and nothing about this start suggests the defense has been fixed since.
Derrick White is day-to-day tonight with a right hip injury. Keep an eye on whether White plays before placing a bet. Devin Carter is out tonight with mononucleosis, with a return expected around November 8. Brooklyn is without Tyler Bilodeau, who is out with a sprained right shoulder and a return expected around October 30. DraftKings makes Boston a 12.5-point favorite, with a total of 222.5.
Key Factors
Brooklyn's defense is the argument against this pick, and it is a strong one. A team that just gave up 136 points at home can give up a run in the Garden that ends the cover early, and Boston scored 134 in this building last night. If Tatum and George both shoot well in the first half, Brooklyn is chasing the game and the points stop mattering.
The cover case rests on Brooklyn's offense, which has been better than the record. The Nets scored 121 points at Cleveland, a good defensive team, because Randle can create a decent shot late in the clock and Porter punishes closeouts. Boston does not need to play badly for this to stay close. It needs one ordinary quarter, and a favorite that played last night and faces a day-to-day starting guard can have one.
White's status shapes Boston's rotation more than Carter's absence does. If White sits, Pritchard takes on more creation and Boston's bench minutes get thinner against a Brooklyn team that wants to run. The total of 222.5 sits below what both teams' games have produced so far, which tells you the market expects Boston's defense to slow this down. A slower game helps the team getting the points.
Boston is the better team by a wide margin, and Brooklyn's defense is bad enough to get buried in this building. But Randle gives the Nets a real half-court creator, and they hung with Cleveland on the road three nights ago. This number asks Boston to clear a margin it has reached once, against a team whose offense travels better than its defense. Take Brooklyn Nets +12.5 at -112.
Game information
| DATE | Tuesday (10/27) |
|---|---|
| START TIME | 6:30 PM CT |
| HOW TO WATCH | League Pass |
| VENUE | TD Garden |
| SPREAD | Boston Celtics -12.5 |
| TOTAL | 222.5 |
| MONEYLINE | Boston Celtics -625 |
More picks this week
Player props for this game
1 prop- Jayson Tatum AssistsOver 6.5 -141
Every pick is published with its line before the game. Odds via consensus sportsbooks at time of writing and move constantly. Must be 21+. If gambling is a problem, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.