A shaky first half wasn’t enough to derail the Brooklyn Nets in the opener of their playoff series against the rival Boston Celtics – and the ease with which the No. 2 seed rolled in the second half is a concern for the visitors ahead of Tuesday’s Game 2. The Nets (49-24 SU, 39-34 ATS) outscored Boston (37-37 SU, 35-39 ATS) by a 57-40 margin after the break to pull out the narrow cover.
- Date/Time: May 25, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Arena: Barclays Center
- TV Coverage: TNT
- Sportsbook Odds: Nets -8.5 | O/U 227 (Line History)
- Celtics vs Nets Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The Nets kicked off the betting cycle as 8.5-point favorites and have been bet up to -9.5 at the majority of sportsbooks. The total, on the other hand, has remained steady at 227.
Boston News & Notes
The Nets were one of the more charitable teams among playoff participants during the regular season, but the Celtics couldn’t take advantage in Game 1. They shot under 37 percent from the floor and managed to score just 20 points in each of the third and fourth quarters as Brooklyn took charge. Jayson Tatum finished 6-for-20 from the field while Kemba Walker shot a dismal 5-for-16.
One area the Celtics might look to improve in Game 2: Getting Evan Fournier more three-point opportunities. The trade deadline acquisition shot better than 41 percent from long range in the regular season and is at 51.8 percent over his last 10 games – but he had just four attempts in Game 1 (making two), while the backcourt duo of Walker and Marcus Smart combined for 15.
Brooklyn News & Notes
It’s no secret that the Nets will live and die this postseason by the performance of their big three – and James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant were ice-cold to start Game 1, combining to shoot 0-for-11 from beyond the arc. Then the third quarter happened and the trio combined to score 28 of the Nets’ 31 points, effectively putting a once-close game out of reach.
And here’s a sobering thought for Celtics fans and bettors: Brooklyn’s sensational trio still has plenty of room to improve. They still shot just 5-for-22 from long range in the win, and had only 13 total assists against nine turnovers. Expect all of those numbers to improve in Game 2 as the Nets look to extend their eight-game winning streak over the Celtics in postseason play.
Betting Pick: UNDER 227 (-110)
It doesn’t look like we’re going to see the same high-flying Nets offense we were treated to during the regular season – but with the sportsbooks not ready to give up on that possibility, there’s an edge here for UNDER bettors.
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Buy Sports Picks Now- Boston is 5-10 ATS in its last 15 games.
- Brooklyn is 6-0 ATS in its last 6 games.
- The UNDER is 7-3 in the Nets’ past 10 games.
