Tipping off at 8:00 p.m. ET across the seven-game NBA slate, the Portland Trail Blazers will face the Boston Celtics.
Both of these teams have overachieved relative to expectations at this point in the year. This also marks the second matchup between them, with the Trail Blazers producing a 114-108 win in the first matchup in Portland. They will now face off in Boston, and this will mark Jrue Holiday’s return to the city for the first time since the offseason trade.
Looking at the odds for tonight’s game, the Celtics are 7.5-point favorites and hold -305 odds on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Trail Blazers are +245 underdogs with the game total set at 224.5 points.
This article will look at a preview and prediction for the Monday night matchup.
Trail Blazers at Celtics Preview
The Portland Trail Blazers have climbed to 23-23 on the season, which slots them at ninth place in the Western Conference. They are looking to bounce back from a loss against the Raptors on Friday, but had won nine of their last 11 before this. On the season, Portland has gone 26-20 against the spread, and the game total has gone 23-23 to the over/under.
As a team, the Trail Blazers are averaging 116.1 points per game, which ranks 16th in the league. Portland ranks 21st in offensive rating, 28th in field goal percentage, third in three-point attempts per game, 30th in three-point percentage, and turns the ball over at the most frequent rate in the league. On the defensive side of the ball, the Trail Blazers are allowing 117.8 points per game, which ranks 22nd. They rank 18th in defensive rating, 20th in opponents’ field goal percentage, and eighth in opponents’ three-point percentage.
Deni Avdija headlines the production for the team and has made a legitimate All-Star push this season. The 25-year-old is averaging 26.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game. He has been upgraded to questionable with a back injury after missing the previous game for Portland. Robert Williams III is also listed as questionable, while Matisse Thybulle, Kris Murray, Scoot Henderson, Duop Reath, Blake Wesley, and Damian Lillard will each miss tonight. Shaedon Sharpe has shown some encouraging signs of development this year, averaging 21.9 points and 4.6 rebounds. Jerami Grant and Jrue Holiday provide a nice veteran presence and solid minutes, while Caleb Love has provided a nice spark off the bench. Donovan Clingan leads the team with 10.9 rebounds per game, along with 11.3 points and 1.2 blocks.
The Boston Celtics sit in second place in the Eastern Conference with a 28-17 record on the year. Even with Jayson Tatum continuing to recover from his Achilles tear, Jaylen Brown has stepped up as the driving force of the offense, and there has been enough support around him. Boston is looking to bounce back from a loss to the Bulls in the previous game, but has won four of their last six. The Celtics are 25-20 against the spread this season, and the game total has gone under in 26 of their 45 games played.
The Celtics are scoring 116.9 points per game, which ranks 12th in the NBA. They rank second in offensive rating, 14th in field goal percentage, eighth in three-point percentage, and they attempt the second-most three-point attempts per game. Defensively, opponents are scoring the third-fewest points per game against them at 110.3 on average. Boston also ranks 13th in defensive rating, third in opponents’ field goal percentage, 21st in opponents’ three-point percentage, and dead last in pace.
Jaylen Brown has played like one of the best players in basketball this year, posting averages of 29.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game. Derrick White continues to play a winning brand of basketball, posting averages of 17.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists. Anfernee Simons has started to find his footing with the franchise, while Payton Pritchard remains one of the best isolation scorers in basketball. Luka Garza, Neemias Queta, and Josh Minott are each listed as questionable for tonight’s matchup.
Trail Blazers at Celtics Prediction, Best Bet
The Celtics have played their way into the contending conversation in the Eastern Conference. But their biggest concern is with their interior production. The Celtics entered the season with the center position as a major question mark. Even with Neemias Queta and Luka Garza each largely exceeding expectations, they still can look overmatched in certain matchups.
This was the case the first time these teams faced off. The Trail Blazers out-rebounded the Celtics 48 to 39, which included Portland pulling in 16 offensive rebounds. With Queta and Garza each listed as questionable, this outlook could be even worse. Donovan Clingan does an excellent job fighting for position and using his 7-foot-2 frame. Deni Avdija, Robert Williams III, and Toumani Camara are each plenty capable of making a strong impact in rebounding the basketball as well.
Expect this to be a factor in this game throughout and for Portland to have success rebounding the basketball again. The Trail Blazers are 9-3 in January and have found a real identity in their style of play. Expect Avdija to have some real success pushing the pace and attacking downhill. His combination of size and athleticism creates a tough matchup for this Celtics’ defense. Boston prefers to play at a slow pace and is vulnerable around the basket, and Avdija will push this.
The Trail Blazers got the upper hand in the first matchup between these two teams, which was played in Portland. Now in Boston, I like the chances of Portland replicating the success they had. Jrue Holiday will be hungry to make an impact in his first return to the city for the first time since the trade. For the sake of the article, I am locking in the Trail Blazers to cover the 7.5-point spread. But view them as live underdogs with a chance to win outright. The Trail Blazers are playing excellent basketball of late, and the difference in interior production makes this a really tough matchup for the Celtics.
