For a long time, Brooklyn and Boston’s biggest link has been a lopsided trade between them – but this season could see the birth of a major rivalry as the Atlantic Division foes tangle Friday afternoon at TD Garden. The Nets (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) served notice with an Sportsbook victory over Golden State that they’ll be a contender this season, while the Celtics (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) kicked off with a win over Milwaukee.
- Date/Time: December 25, 5 p.m. ET
- Arena: TD Garden
- TV Coverage: ABC
- Sportsbook Odds: Nets -1 | O/U 227 (Line History)
- Nets vs Celtics Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
Brooklyn came into this Christmas Day matchup as a 1-point favorite, but a spectacular season opener has earned notice among the betting public and forced the number all the way up to -2.5. The total has risen 1 point to 228.
Brooklyn News & Notes
Sportsbook night was well worth the wait for Nets fans and bettors who finally got to see what the Brooklyn lineup looks like with Kevin Durant in the fold. Durant and Kyrie Irving combined for 48 points in a 26-point drubbing of visiting Golden State that was actually more one-sided than the score would suggest, with the Nets leading by as many as 38 points.
Durant’s revenge game was a roaring success – and Irving will be hoping for the same result against the team he led to a pair of playoff appearances in his two seasons in Boston. Irving, who averaged 24.1 points and 6.1 assists in two years with the Celtics, didn’t get to face Boston last year after injuries limited him to just 20 games in his first season in Brooklyn.
Boston News & Notes
With the sting of that conference final loss to Miami still fresh in their minds, the Celtics made an immediate statement with a one-point victory over the prohibitive favorite to represent the East in the NBA Finals. And they have a handful of trends on their side heading into this one, most notably an 8-1 SU mark in their previous nine meetings with the Nets at TD Garden.
One area of interest among the betting public: whether the Celtics can keep up with Brooklyn’s dangerous fast break. The Nets outscored Golden State 28-12 on the break, while Boston managed just five fast-break points against the Bucks (while surrendering 18 themselves). If the Nets get out and run in transition, the Celtics might struggle to keep pace.
Betting Pick: Boston +2.5 (-110)
The Celtics are still a team to be feared and have the defensive chops to limit what Durant and Irving do on offense. We prefer Boston’s defense over Brooklyn’s and will take the points here.
- Boston committed just 7 turnovers against the Bucks.
- Brooklyn finished with 57 rebounds vs the Warriors.
- The OVER is 5-0 in Boston’s last 5 games vs the East.
