Boston Celtics at Brooklyn Nets Betting Preview/Prop Picks

After getting a 2-0 lead on the Nets in this series, the Celtics are pushing for win number three. Led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics have played incredibly this series.

However, tonight they’ll have to head to Brooklyn instead of playing on their own court. This could be a tough test for the Celtics as each of these games has been very close and exciting.

The Brooklyn Nets get to return home tonight, but they’re down two games. A loss at home tonight will put them on the brink of elimination.

In order to avoid that, the Nets will need to make a few changes, which we’ll detail below. Considering both teams are relatively healthy, this is shaping up to be an entertaining one. However, the real question is, who will win tonight?

Boston Celtics: No need to change anything they’re doing

You could argue that the Celtics found the perfect formula to beat the Brooklyn Nets. They play tough defense and have a few great scorers on offense.

Most importantly, the Celtics play as a team and don’t focus on individual accolades. For example, in their most recent win over the Nets, their leading scorer was Jaylen Brown with 22 points. 

Although Brown scored just 22 points, the Celtics won the game 114-107. The reason they pulled this off was primarily because of the rest of the teams contributing.

Marcus Smart had 12 points, Daniel Theis had 15, and the bench put up 30. With the team collaborating this well, it’s hard to see them losing any games.

Brooklyn Nets: Durant and Irving need to pull it together

Kyrie Irving has had a tough time getting past Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics. In their Game 2 loss, Irving scored just 10 points, going four for 13.

This is an example of a player forcing a shot; however, there’s a better example of this with Kevin Durant. Durant is clearly the leader of the team, but it doesn’t mean he has to do all the scoring. 

In Game 2, Durant shot 4 for 17 and scored 27 points. Most of the points came from his time at the free-throw line, where we went 18 for 20. If the Nets continue down this path, they’ll find themselves out of the playoffs quickly.

With that being said, the Nets still come in as three-point favorites. So, between these two teams, which one is the best to bet on tonight?

Boston Celtics at Brooklyn Nets Betting Pick

Between these two teams, the Celtics clearly have the upper hand. This is primarily because they aren’t forcing the ball to anyone.

More importantly, they have the best defense in the NBA in terms of points allowed per game. Because of this combination, we feel that they have the best chance to cover the spread. 

Even if Brooklyn were to win the game, the Celtics will likely keep it very close. In the first game, the Celtics nearly lost and would have had it not been for a last-second shot.

The final score ended 115-114 in favor of the Celtics. We see the game going similar to this tonight, which could mean the Nets win, but the Celtics cover.

DunkelIndex Free Betting Pick: Boston Celtics +3, OVER

Prop Picks

Brooklyn (-115) OVER 112.5 Points

Brooklyn is averaging 112.9 points per game on offense, which ranks No. 9 in the league. That average increases to 118.0 points per game in the Nets’ last 10 games overall. Scores have gone OVER in five of Brooklyn’s last six games versus Boston.

With Dunkel predicting a Brooklyn victory by the score of 116-115, take the Nets (-115) to finish OVER their Vegas team total of 112.5 points against the Celtics.

Kevin Durant (-125) OVER 29.5 Points

Durant averaged 29.9 points per game during the regular season, which ranked No. 1 on the Nets and No. 4 in the league.  That average increased to 31.1 points per game post All-Star break and 32.4 points per game versus Atlantic Division opponents.

With Dunkel predicting Brooklyn going OVER its Vegas team point total, take Durant (-125) to finish OVER his Vegas point total of 29.5 points against the Celtics.

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