NBA Odds: Celtics (even)
The Golden State Warriors (45-11) head to Boston to play the Celtics (23-33) in a game that will likely be up tempo. The game starts at 6:00 pm ET on Sunday, Mar. 1 and will air on CSN-BA and CSN-NE.
The Celtics beat the Hornets 106-98 on Friday. With 16 points and 10 rebounds, Jonas Jerebko recorded his first double-double this season. The Warriors, meanwhile, are coming off a 113-89 win over the Raptors on Friday. Stephen Curry stood out for Golden State, recording 22 points, six rebounds, and five assists.
Over the last five games, Avery Bradley has been playing at a high level for the Celtics. During that stretch, he has averaged 20.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 3.2 steals, and 2.4 three-pointers.
There should be plenty of transition action in this game. The Celtics rank third in the league in possessions per game (100.1), while the Warriors are first (101.7).
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Warriors won the first game 114-111. Jared Sullinger was a top player in the game with 26 points, nine rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one three-pointer.
Oddsmakers have deemed this game an even matchup and the Over/Under (O/U) is presently unavailable. The Celtics are looking to improve on their records of 22-33-1 Straight Up (SU) and 31-24 Against The Spread (ATS). In their last 10 games they are 7-2 ATS. Over their past 10 games, Boston’s defense has been playing lights out, only allowing 90.8 points per game, well under their season average of 102.6.
Across the court, Golden State has a SU record of 44-11-1 and an ATS record of 33-21-1. In Eastern Conference games, Golden State has gone 17-4-1 SU and 10-10-1 ATS. They sport the top-ranked scoring offense in the league, averaging 110.2 points per game. Golden State is the top three-point shooting team in the league, hitting .390 of their shots from three-point range. Defenses have a tough time accounting for every player when up against the Warriors, who average a league-leading 27.3 assists per game. Golden State’s defense has set the standard for league, with opponents shooting a league-low .426 from the field. When it comes to defending the rim, the Warriors are one of the best in the league with an average of 6.0 blocks per game. Golden State makes opponents pay for turning the ball over, ranking second in points off turnovers with an average of 20.0 per game.
Following the Warriors’ latest win over Boston, the two teams’ head-to-head record is now an even 5-5 SU in their last 10 games. The Warriors hold the advantage ATS with a record of 6-4. Boston has held the edge in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers) twice over the last 10, while Golden State accomplished this once.
Predictions: SU Winner – GS, ATS Winner – GS
Notes
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston’s last 5 games.
Boston is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston’s last 5 games at home.
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston’s last 5 games when playing Golden State.
Boston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Golden State.
Boston is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games when playing Golden State.
Boston is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Golden State.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston’s last 7 games when playing at home against Golden State.
Boston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Golden State.
Golden State ranks first in points allowed per road game (100.7 PPG), while Boston ranks 11th in points per home game with 102.5.
The Golden State Warriors won their last game by 24 points. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, the Boston Celtics are 3-2. Golden State is 16-0 in blowouts this season.
The Golden State Warriors sit undefeated (28-0) in games in which their opponent scores fewer than 100 points. Conversely, the Boston Celtics have an abysmal 4-17 record when they don’t put up at least 100 points.
Golden State has a solid 17-11 record when it gives up 100 or more points this season. Boston is 19-16 when it puts up triple digits.
The Warriors have the second-best offensive rating in the NBA (108.3). The Celtics are also in the top half of the league based on their defensive rating of 102.5 (ranked 14th).
Golden State has an average field goal percentage of 47.8% (ranked first). Boston is an underachieving 2-19 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Boston Celtics average 24.0 three point attempts per game and are 9-12 when attempting at least 25 in a game. The Golden State Warriors average 27.1 attempts and have an outstanding record (33-8) when attempting 25 or more.
Golden State ranks near the top of the league with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.91 (ranked second). Boston is ranked sixth, with an A/TO of 1.80 this season.
The Boston Celtics rebound 43.9 times per game and are ranked 11th. Ranked seventh, the Golden State Warriors rebound 44.8 times per game.
The Golden State Warriors rank 22nd in offensive rebounding, while the Boston Celtics rank 10th in defensive rebounding.
Golden State is one of the top teams in forced turnovers, with opponents averaging a TOV% of 15.7% (ranked fifth). Boston has an abysmal record of 3-10 SU this season when its TOV% reaches 15.7% or greater.
