The 2021 NBA Playoffs tips off Saturday, May 22, so I’ve prepared the best Boston Celtics vs. Brooklyn Nets betting pick for their Eastern Conference first-round opener at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Nets are massive -1400 favorites to win the series, while the Celtics are +825 underdogs to reach the conference semifinals.
The Nets opened as 8-point home favorites for Game 1. They swept the Celtics in their three-game regular-season series, and the Nets are 5-1 straight up and ATS in their previous six encounters with Boston.
The Celtics survived the play-in tournament thanks to Jayson Tatum
The Boston Celtics have struggled a lot over the last few weeks. They’ve dropped five of their last six games in the regular season, finishing at the seventh spot of the Eastern Conference standings, so the Celtics had to play the Washington Wizards in the play-in tournament this past Tuesday.
Boston overcame a two-point deficit from halftime to outlast the Wizards 118-100 and earn the No. 7 seed, as Jayson Tatum went off for 50 points on 14-for-32 shooting from the field and 17-for-17 at the line. The Celtics shot just 39.6% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc, but they dominated Washington defensively in the second half.
The Celtics are without Jaylen Brown who’s done for the season due to a wrist injury, so Tatum will have to shoulder the Celtics’ offense. Boston is tallying 114.0 points per 100 possessions (11th in the NBA) on 46.6% shooting from the field (19th) and 37.4% from downtown (11th) while handing out only 23.7 assists (23rd).
The Nets look to carry the momentum from the regular season
The Brooklyn Nets finished the regular season on a high note, riding a five-game winning streak and covering on all five occasions. They are 9-4 straight up over the last 13 outings overall, scoring 117.6 points per game in the process.
Kevin Durant has been balling lately, averaging 26.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 6.9 assists a night in his last nine showings, while Kyrie Irving has been making 47.6% of his 3-pointers over the last eight games. These two guys will lead the way for the Nets, as James Harden is not ready to play big minutes yet.
The Beard appeared in two of the Nets’ last three regular-season contests, averaging 11.5 points and 9.0 assists a night. The head coach Steve Nash will probably take a cautious approach with Harden whose health might be a key factor in the Nets’ eventual championship run.
Trends:
Boston:
- 1-5 ATS in the last six games against Brooklyn
- 1-5 ATS in the last six games against the Atlantic Division
Brooklyn:
- 6-0 ATS in the last six home games against Boston
- 5-0 ATS in the last five games overall
I’m looking for the nets to send the message in Game 1 and steamroll the shorthanded Celtics. The visitors will miss Jaylen Brown a lot, while Robert Williams (toe) is doubtful to play Saturday, and his absence will hurt Boston’s interior defense.
It’s never easy to cover an 8-point spread in the playoffs, especially not against the Celtics, but I think the Nets shouldn’t have any problems beating this Boston team in Game 1. Three of Brooklyn’s last four wins over Boston came by nine or more points.
Pick: Take Brooklyn Nets -8.0 at -110
The Total:
All three regular-season encounters between the Celtics and Nets went in the under, but one of those three contests produced more than 228 points in total, as Brooklyn thrashed off Boston 121-109 as a 2.5-point home fave.
I think we’ll see a similar scenario in Game 1 of their playoff series. The Nets own the best offensive rating in the NBA, tallying 118.3 points per 100 possessions, but they also allow 113.8 points in a return (23rd in the league).
Pick: Go over 228.0 points at -110