Game: Boston Celtics @ Golden State Warriors
Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
Odds: Celtics +2.5, Warriors -2.5
Total: 220
Golden State looks to continue its winning streak with another home game against Boston. It’s the Warriors’ third straight home game and the Dubs have won four straight. They beat Washington 126-112 as Stephen Curry scored 47 points and the team shot nearly 54 percent from the field. That will be a bit more difficult to do tonight as the Warriors face one of the best defenses in the NBA.
Boston had won five straight before running into Dallas on Sunday. The Celtics lost 95-92 in a defensive battle. Boston is third in the NBA in scoring defense allowing opponents 103.9 points per game. It’s interesting that Golden State is actually fifth in the league in the same category allowing 105 points per game. The Warriors played without top defender Draymond Green for a stretch and their defense suffered. In a recent five-game losing streak for example, Golden State gave up 122 or more points in four of the five games.
Both teams have outstanding scorers. Golden State has four players that average in double figures. They are led, of course, by Curry who scores 25.8 points per game. Klay Thompson averages 17.8 and Andrew Wiggins scores 17.3 a game. For Boston, Jayson Tatum has been outstanding. He had a recent stretch of five straight 30-plus point games. That included outings of 44 and 54 points in wins over the Hornets and Nets. Tatum averages 26.8 points per game this season.
With Green back in the lineup, the Warriors are primed for their stretch run. In addition to winning four straight, they have covered the spread in five straight games. The Warriors are also 10-3 SU in their last 13 home games. The defense appears to be back too. In their four-game winning streak, Golden State is allowing an average of 105 points per game.
Boston has been very good since the calendar flipped to 2022. The Celtics are 16-3 SU in their last 19 games. They are 3-2-1 ATS in their last six games and they have held the upper hand against Golden State recently. In the last ten games in the series, Boston has won seven. The teams have only played once this season. Golden State won 111-107 back in December in Boston. The Warriors were a four-point favorite. Boston is 7-2-1 ATS in the last ten games against Golden State.
Both teams have been trending Over despite being so good on defense. Boston has seen the total go Over in eight of the team’s last 11 games. The total has gone Over in 10 of Golden State’s last 14 games. The Celtics-Warriors series has been just the opposite. Ten of the last 12 totals in the series have gone Under. That includes five straight Unders in games played at Golden State. The last ten games have averaged 212.5 points per game. Eight of those ten have resulted in the Under cashing.