NBA Cup play continues on Friday as nine games take place across the schedule. Out in the Eastern Conference’s Group B, the Boston Celtics take on the Brooklyn Nets tonight — it may not be the flashiest matchup on the slate, but there’s still reason to tune in as these teams look to make a splash in the group standings.
Here’s a Nets vs. Celtics prediction and pick on DraftKings Sportsbook for Friday’s matchup.
Nets vs. Celtics prediction, preview
Brooklyn Nets
It’s been a miserable season for the Nets thus far, but that’s expected with the rebuilding squad. A 2-12 record places them firmly in the mix for a high lottery pick, and there have been some slight bright spots as far as talent goes. Michael Porter Jr. averages a team-high 24.2 PPG and 7.7 rebounds, rebuilding his trade value or even potentially slotting in as a long-term piece here. Nic Claxton is also quietly still a quality center with 14.6 points and 7.3 boards a night. However, the shooting efficiency is a major problem for most of this roster as the Nets are sixth-worst in TS%, and none of the 2025 NBA Draft selections are showing signs of settling in yet. As a team, Brooklyn also sits 19th in PPG and 24th in OFFRTG while ranking 23rd in opponent PPG and 29th in DEFTG. Those factors add up to a NETRTG of -11.8, 26th in the NBA.
Boston Celtics
Looking toward the Celtics, they’re weathering the storm without superstar Jayson Tatum quite respectably at 8-6 on the campaign. Boston’s leaned into a guard-centric lineup that still jacks up three-pointers, and while the offense isn’t stellar at 22nd in raw PPG, the team is actually ninth in OFFRTG. The defensive identity has stood out though at second in opponent scoring and ninth in DEFRTG, giving the Celtics a NETRTG of +5.4, eighth-best in the league. In a lead role, Jaylen Brown posts 27.5 PPG while shooting over 50% from the field, and he’s followed by a trio of guards with Payton Pritchard (16.7 PPG), Derrick White (15.9 PPG), and Anfernee Simons (13.3 PPG) next up in scoring. However, Neemias Queta has put up a quality season at center himself as well. Boston also ranks 26th in TS% though, so this isn’t a particularly efficient bunch.
Nets vs. Celtics pick, best bet
On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Celtics are heavy favorites at -14.5 with -1100 odds on the Moneyline. The Nets hold +700 odds to pull off the upset with a game total of 221.5 points.
This isn’t a matchup to get cute with — Boston’s a massive favorite for good reason. The defensive numbers this season are much better than many people expected, showing that sometimes scheme can indeed make up for a relative lack of high-end talent on that side of the ball. This unit should largely stifle most of Brooklyn’s options, and outside of Porter Jr., there aren’t any truly dangerous scorers to watch out for. He’ll likely get swarmed every time he touches the ball, and he’s not the type of player to kick it out either. The Celtics should take advantage of the poor shot selection, and on the other end, there aren’t many standout defenders on the Nets’ side either.
With the best player in the game with Brown as well as a variety of high-upside guards, the C’s should comfortably win this one. There’s no value on the Moneyline here and even the spread feels a little bit long, but there’s still betting value available. Both teams rank in the bottom-five in pace, so this seems like a chance to take that under even though it’s a low number.
Top pick: Under 221.5 points (-105)
