The Portland Trail Blazers (35-28) travel to “Beantown” Sunday for a 7 p.m. ET game with the Boston Celtics (34-30) at TD Garden. Below, we analyze the Trail Blazers-Celtics odds and lines, with NBA picks and predictions.
Portland has won and covered three in a row including a 128-109 beatdown of the first-place Brooklyn Nets Friday and a 130-109 whooping of the Memphis Grizzlies in a “double-revenge” spot Wednesday.
Before this three-game winning streak, the Blazers lost five straight and were 2-3 against the spread with back-to-back losses to the Grizzlies two straight one-point losses to the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers.
Boston has been up-and-down recently, winning its two last games following a three-game skid (1-4 ATS in the past five), which included an embarrassing 109-105 home loss to the tanking Oklahoma City Thunder Tuesday.
The Celtics beat the Blazers 116-115 as 1-point road underdogs in their first meeting of the season to extend their winning streak over Portland to three games (2-0-1 ATS).
Trail Blazers at Celtics: Odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 1:00 p.m. ET.
- Money line: Trail Blazers -125 (bet $125 to win $100) | Celtics +105 (bet $100 to win $105)
- Against the spread/ATS: Trail Blazers -1.5 (-110) | Celtics +1.5 (-110)
- Over/Under: 234.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Trail Blazers at Celtics: Key injuries
Trail Blazers
- PF Zach Collins (ankle) out
Celtics
- PG Kemba Walker (oblique) doubtful
- SG Jaylen Brown (ankle) questionable
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Trail Blazers at Celtics: Odds, lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Trail Blazers 117, Celtics 111
Money line (ML)
The TRAIL BLAZERS (-125) increased in price throughout the morning. However, I still lean in Portland’s direction because Damian Lillard is one of the best clutch players in the Association and continuously figures out a way to will his team across the finish line in tight games.
For instance, this season the Blazers are 22-12 in clutch situations with the second-highest net rating, the fifth-highest effective field goal shooting (eFG%) and the best assist-to-turnover ratio.
Compare that to a Celtics team that stumbles down the stretch in close games; Boston is 17-24 in clutch situations with the fifth-lowest net rating, 22nd-ranked eFG% and 22nd-ranked assist-to-turnover ratio.
A major reason for Boston struggling to close games out is because of injury issues with its backcourt all season, which is noticeable by the assist-to-turnover ratio with five minutes remaining in a game within five points.
Both teams are trying to win their way out of play-in seeding and need this game like blood, but Kemba’s absence could lead to Boston being clumsy on offense down the stretch of this contest as well.
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Against the spread (ATS)
PASS since Portland’s money line is only 15 cents on the dollar more expensive than the Trail Blazers -1.5 (-110). I’d rather pay the extra vig than get hooked if this is a 1-point game like the previous Blazers-Celtics meeting this year.
Over/Under (O/U)
Slight “LEAN” to the UNDER 234.5 (-110) for a half unit because each team plays at a below-average tempo.
Also, both teams go through stretches where the ball stops moving, and they rely on iso-ball, which can make each team easier to defend.
However, I prefer Portland’s side more than the Under hence the unit sizing.
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