It’s been a remarkable 2025-26 campaign from the Celtics (35-19, 2nd in East). With a postseason run in sight, Boston is hoping to maintain favorable seeding in the wide-open Eastern Conference. To do so, the team will need to rack up wins against inferior opponents. The Warriors (29-26, 8th in West) fit the bill. With Steph Curry sidelined, can Golden State deliver an upset in San Francisco?
The Celtics are 5.5-point favorites (-112) over the Warriors on DraftKings Sportsbook. Boston is favored at -205 on the moneyline. The total for this contest is set at 211.5 points. Here’s my preview, prediction, and pick for Thursday’s Boston Celtics vs. Golden State Warriors game.
Celtics vs. Warriors prediction, preview
When discussing Boston’s remarkable season, Jaylen Brown deserves much of the credit. It’s been a terrific season for the wing, who has garnered fringe MVP consideration. Through 49 games, he’s averaging 29.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 4.7 assists while shooting 48% from the field. JB is joined by another standout guard, Derrick White. Despite inefficient shooting, the veteran has posted 17.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game. As a unit, the Celtics are knocking down 15.4 three-pointers per game, third-most in basketball. The midseason acquisition of center Nikola Vucevic should only make this group more dangerous going forward.
With that being said, the true strength of this group is on the other end of the floor. The Celtics are holding opponents to 108.4 points per game, second-fewest in the NBA behind the Thunder. That low scoring total is due in part to Boston’s offense. The team is operating at the association’s slowest pace (95.1). Once you give the C’s a sizable lead, they’ll do their best to hang on. Unsurprisingly, their +6.9 average scoring margin ranks as the sport’s third-best mark.
Even if Curry were healthy, this would be a difficult task for the Warriors. Without their face of the franchise, and fellow star Jimmy Butler (ACL), the Dubs are in a tough spot. Generating offense has been difficult in recent weeks, given the lack of a true go-to scorer. Over 16 games this season without Curry, Golden State is averaging 104.0 points. Keep in mind, many of those contests came with Butler on the floor.
In the absence of two All-Stars, some unheralded Warriors have seen a major usage boost. Among the names to watch tonight, Brandin Podziemski (12.0 PPG) and Moses Moody (11.5 PPG) should make an impact. It helps that Golden State sits at ninth in the NBA with a 113.5 defensive rating. There’s also a chance trade deadline acquisition Kristaps Porzingis (Achilles) makes his team debut tonight. The former Celtics champion is currently listed as questionable.
Celtics vs. Warriors pick, best bet
If the Warriors were fully healthy, they’d have a solid chance at earning a home victory. However, given Curry’s injury, it’s almost impossible to trust this offense against anyone. That’s especially true when going up against an elite Celtics defense. Boston, carried by the duo of Brown and White, should find a way to cover this 5.5-point spread.
