The Brooklyn Nets look every bit like NBA championship favorites as they visit the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series Friday night. The Nets (50-24 SU, 40-34 ATS) cruised to a 130-108 victory in Game 2 to put the Celtics (37-38 SU, 35-40 ATS) on their heels as the series shifts to Boston, where Brooklyn is expected to get a cool reception from the Celtics faithful.
- Date/Time: May 28, 8:30 p.m. ET
- Arena: TD Garden
- TV Coverage: ABC
- Sportsbook Odds: Nets -6.5 | O/U 226.5 (Line History)
- Nets vs Celtics Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
Brooklyn opened as a 6.5-point favorite, but the line has since shifted to -7.5 at the majority of sportsbooks. The Sportsbook total of 226.5 has risen to 227 in most spots, with the odd 227.5 also available.
Brooklyn News & Notes
When the Nets’ big three are rolling, beating Brooklyn is a difficult task – and it becomes even more daunting when the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed gets a major offensive contribution from elsewhere. That’s just what happened in Game 2, as Joe Harris knocked down seven three-pointers en route to a 25-point effort that helped lead the Nets to a one-sided win.
All eyes will be on guard Kyrie Irving, who returns to the city where he played from 2017 to 2019 before signing with the Nets as a free agent. His previous two visits to TD Garden took place without fans due to COVID-19 – but Friday’s game will feature a modest crowd that will no doubt have some choice words for the star guard, who is averaging 22 points through the first two games.
Boston News & Notes
The Celtics survived a scare when Jayson Tatum suffered an eye injury in Game 2; he’ll be back in action Friday night, and the home team will need him to be at his best. He has been held to 31 total points over the first two games of the series (after averaging 26.4 points per game during the regular season) and is shooting just 27.5 percent from the field and 29.2 percent from three-point range.
Simply put, Tatum needs to be better – and he could use a little help, too. On the plus side, Boston has four players averaging at least 13.0 points in the series, led by Marcus Smart at 18.0. But the Celtics are shooting a dismal 39.8 percent from the floor and 35.9 percent from three-point territory against a Nets team that finished 21st in the NBA in scoring defense during the regular season.
Betting Pick: Nets -7.5 (-110)
The Nets are in a completely different stratosphere right now and have been doing just as much damage in the series with their defense, which is a problem for the rest of the Eastern Conference.
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Buy Sports Picks Now- The Nets are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 games.
- Brooklyn has covered the past 5 head-to-head meetings.
- The UNDER is 5-1 in Boston’s past 6 games.
