The Boston Celtics (1-3) will be at home when they face the Washington Wizards (3-1). Action begins at 7:30 pm ET on Friday, Nov. 6 and can be seen on CNE, WA2, C+ and C+D.
The Celtics lost a winnable game to the Pacers 100-98 on Wednesday. Isaiah Thomas was the game’s high scorer, contributing 27 points. The Wizards, meanwhile, are coming off a 102-99 win against the Spurs on Wednesday. John Wall had a good game, posting 17 points and 13 assists to claim his second double-double of the season.
The Celtics are favored by a small two-point margin in their matchup against Washington. Oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at 202 points. The Celtics enter this game with records of 1-3 Straight Up (SU) and Against The Spread (ATS). The Celtics are one of the best in the NBA in terms of free throw percentage, shooting an impressive .837 from the free throw line. Boston is one of the best passing teams in the league with an average of 23.8 assists per game. Crossing over to the defensive side of the court, opponents have consistently had the ball stolen by the Celtics, who rank fourth in the league in steals per game with 10.2. If its opponents turn the ball over, Boston has shown that it knows how to capitalize. They average 25.0 points off turnovers, making them the fifth-best team in the league for that category.
As for their opponent, the Wizards head into the game with records of 2-2 ATS and 3-1 SU. The Washington defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing only 7.0 field goals from three-point range per game.
This game marks the first time these teams will play this season. The last time the conference rivals played, Washington won, bringing the head-to-head record to an even 5-5 SU over the last 10 meetings. On the other hand, with a 6-4 record, the Wizards have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – Bos, ATS Winner – Bos, O/U – Under
Notes
Boston is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston’s last 7 games.
Boston is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games.
Boston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Boston is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston’s last 7 games at home.
Boston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Washington.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston’s last 5 games when playing at home against Washington.
Boston ranks 16th in points per game with 100.0, while Washington ranks 22nd in points allowed with an average of 104.0 given up.
On average, Boston puts up 100.7 points per home game (ranked 16th), while Washington allows 100.0 points per away game (ranked 13th).
The Washington Wizards won their last game by a three-point margin. In games decided by a margin of three points or less, the Boston Celtics are 0-1. Washington is 2-0 in close games this season.
When opponents score fewer than 100 points, the Washington Wizards are a perfect 2-0 this season. When they score fewer than 100 points, the Boston Celtics are a winless 0-2.
When opponents score at least 100 points, Washington has a split 1-1 record. When Boston has allowed 100 or more points, it also has an even record (1-1).
The Celtics have a defensive rating of 98.5 (ranked 12th), while the Wizards rank ninth for their offensive rating of 102.7.
The Boston Celtics average a field goal percentage of 40.2% this season. The Washington Wizards have a winning 2-1 record in games where opponents have a FG% of 40.2% or greater.
The Boston Celtics average 26.0 three point attempts per game, and the Washington Wizards attempt 23.0 per game. When going for at least 25 three pointers in a game this season, Boston is winless (0-3), but Washington is undefeated (1-0).
Boston has an assist to turnover ratio of 1.38 this season (ranked 16th), while Washington ranks lower at 22nd with an A/TO of 1.32.
Boston is ranked seventh in offensive rebounding. Washington ranks 27th in defensive rebounds.
Washington averages 8.8 steals per game, ranking eighth in the league. Boston is a losing 1-3 when it gives up at least 8 steals.
