NBA Best Bets and Bold Predictions: Celtics vs. Thunder
Boston is a road favorite Tuesday night in Oklahoma City as the East's top team takes on the West's second-best team.
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The Boston Celtics carry a league-best six-game winning streak into Tuesday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, who have won their last four. Boston is a road favorite in its first meeting of the season with Oklahoma City, a matchup that pits the top team in the Eastern Conference against the No. 2 seed in the West.
The C’s 10–6 road record pales in comparison to their 16–0 mark at home, though they have won their last four away from TD Garden — all by double digits. OKC is 13–5 at Paycom Center this season and has won its last three in front of its fans, each by 10-plus points as well.
Jayson Tatum (26.9 ppg) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (31.2 ppg) each anchor their respective offenses — both of which are among the six in the NBA that average more than 120 points per game. Boston and Oklahoma City are also top three teams by defensive rating.
Boston Celtics vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Odds
Spread: Celtics -3.5 (-118) | Thunder +3.5 (-110)
Moneyline: BOS (-175) | OKC (+140)
Total: 239.5 — Over (-118) | Under (-110)
Game Info: Tuesday, Jan. 2 | 8 p.m. ET
Best Bet Against The Spread:
Thunder +3.5 (-110)
Bold Prediction:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Scores 40+ Points
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Eric Hartline/USA Today network
Tuesday’s game at OKC wraps up a quick two-game trip for the Celtics. The first leg was a 134–101 blowout of Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs on Sunday in San Antonio. Tatum and Jaylen Brown finished with 25 and 24 points apiece and coach Joe Mazulla got plenty of assistance from his second unit.
Tatum, Brown and Kristaps Porzingis have traded turns leading the team in scoring during this current win streak, which matches a season-high for Boston. No team hits more three-pointers per game than the Celtics (16.1) and the Thunder are bottom 10 in opponent three-pointers allowed. Defending the perimeter will be key for both teams as OKC’s average of 13 made threes ranks 10th and its 39.1% from beyond the arc is tops in the NBA.
Tonight’s game concludes a two-game homestand for the Thunder after a 124–108 win over the Nets on New Year’s Eve. SGA led all scorers with 24 points and Chet Holmgren recorded his 11th double-double of the season with 18 points and 10 boards. OKC shot a scorching 18–33 from deep as Josh Giddey and Lu Dort each connected on four threes.
One key difference between these two contenders is their pace of play: The Thunder get up and down at the seventh-fastest rate in the league whereas the C’s rank 24th in that metric. That contrast was apparent almost exactly a year ago when Oklahoma City beat the Celtics 150–117 in the last meeting between the two teams. For what it’s worth, Boston had won the previous three in the series.
The Thunder cover at the highest rate in the NBA, having posted a 22–8–1 record against the spread up to this point. That includes a 13–5 mark at home and an 8–3–1 record as an underdog. The Celtics, despite having the best record in the league, are 16–14–2 against the spread and that falls to 6–8–2 on the road. Take Oklahoma City to keep this one close at home against Boston behind a big game from its All-Star, SGA.
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