The Brooklyn Nets (4-4) head to Boston to take on the Celtics (5-2) Friday night in a crucial In-season Tournament game between two Group C opponents. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The Celtics enter the game fairly healthy, with only Al Horford out due to injury management. The Nets will be without Nic Claxton (ankle), Cam Thomas (ankle) and Ben Simmons (hip). Cameron Johnson (calf) will return to make his 2023-24 season debut. Thomas’ injury will hurt the most, as the third-year player was averaging 26.9 ppg through the first eight games of the season.
The Celtics are 11.5-point favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook, while the total is set at 227.5. Boston is -650 on the moneyline while Brooklyn is +470.
Nets vs. Celtics, 7:30 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Nets +11.5
While the Nets will be without Thomas, I still like their odds to cover the spread tonight. On November 3 (the first night of the In-Season Tournament), all seven games were decided by 11 points or less, so it seems like teams are focusing a little bit more in the tournament games. The Celtics are the more talented squad, but the Nets have no problem grinding the game to a halt and playing at their speed. Johnson’s return is a big deal, too.
Over/Under: Under 227.5
The Celtics have the sixth-best offensive rating in the NBA (117.1), and the Nets are 24th in defensive rating (114.5), which means this should be an easy over play, right? These teams combined for 238 points last week, but that was before Thomas got hurt. With his 26 points per game gone and the added intensity of the In-season Tournament, I think this game finishes in the low 220s. Take the under tonight.