The Boston Celtics (47-21) visit the Houston Rockets (15-52) on Monday. Tip from Toyota Center is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Celtics vs. Rockets odds, and make our expert NBA picks and predictions.
Boston took down Atlanta 134-125 on Saturday to cover as a 5-point road favorite. It has now won back-to-back games and is 6-4 in its last 10 and 5-5 against the spread (ATS). This season, they are 36-31-1 ATS.
Houston fell to Chicago 119-111 on Saturday while pushing as an 8-point home underdog. It has lost 3 games in a row and is 2-8 in its last 10. In that span, the Rockets are 3-6-1 ATS to fall to 27-38-2 ATS this season.
The Celtics beat the Rockets 126-102 to cover as 15-point home favorites in their 1st matchup on Dec. 27.
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Celtics at Rockets odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 11:08 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Celtics -850 (bet $850 to win $100) | Rockets +575 (bet $100 to win $575)
- Against the spread (ATS): Celtics -12.5 (-110) | Rockets +12.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 231.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Celtics at Rockets key injuries
Celtics
- Danilo Gallinari (knee) out
- Payton Pritchard (heel) out
- Robert Williams (hamstring) out
Rockets
- None
For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report.
Celtics at Rockets picks and predictions
Prediction
Celtics 124, Rockets 111
Moneyline
PASS.
At 8.5 times the risk as the reward, the moneyline is not playable for the Celtics in this matchup.
Against the spread
LEAN CELTICS -12.5 (-110).
The Rockets have struggled this season with a 9-24 home record while the Celtics have a 21-12 road record.
Houston is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games against a team with a winning percentage above .600, 0-4 ATS in its last 4 games against a team with a winning outright record, and 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 home games.
Boston has the 3rd-ranked offense at 117.9 points per game and the 9th-ranked defense allowing 112.4 PPG. Houston ranks 28th and 29th in each of those categories, respectively.
Over/Under
BET OVER 231.5 (-110).
The Over is 14-3-2 in the Celtics’ last 19 games against a team with a winning percentage below .400 and 4-0 in their last 4 games against a team with a losing outright record. The Over is 3-1 in Boston’s last 4 games overall, including 2-0 in their last 2 road games.
For Houston, the Over is 9-1-1 in its last 11 Monday games, 5-1 in its last 6 games following an outright loss, and 4-1 in its last 5 games overall.
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