NBA Latest Line Celtics vs Nets

The Brooklyn Nets remain the championship favorites on the NBA odds despite being on an eight-game losing streak and they for sure will be without Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on Tuesday against the visiting Boston Celtics and perhaps James Harden as well.

How to Bet Boston at Brooklyn NBA Odds & TV Info

When: Tuesday, 7:30 PM ET
Where: Barclays Center
TV: TNT
Stream: TNT app
Radio: Tunein.com
NBA Odds: TBA (depends on Harden’s status)

Season Series

The Nets lead 1-0, winning 123-104 in Boston on Nov. 24. Patty Mills scored 23, Kevin Durant had 21 and James Harden had 20 points and 11 assists for Brooklyn. LaMarcus Aldridge scored 17 points with nine rebounds for the Nets. Marcus Smart had 20 points and eight assists for Boston. Jayson Tatum had 15 points and eight rebounds for the Celtics, who cut a 29-point, third-quarter lead to 12 early in the fourth, but could get no closer. Brooklyn has won the past four in the series overall.

Why Bet on Boston?

The Celtics won their fifth in a row Sunday, 116-83 in Orlando. Jaylen Brown totaled 26 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals. Al Horford scored 13 points with 11 rebounds. Dennis Schroder scored 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting. Boston outscored the Magic by 15 points while Schroder was on the floor. He also added in four rebounds and two assists. There has been talk the Celtics are trying to trade him by Thursday’s NBA Trade Deadline.

Numerous considerations beyond fit land Schroder’s name in trade rumors. The Celtics sit close enough, if Jaylen Brown’s incentives hit, to the luxury tax line that moving off Schroder’s $5.9-million salary would guarantee Boston avoids being a taxpayer.

It was Boston’s fifth time of the season in holding an opponent under 85 points. By comparison, no other NBA team has logged more than two such efforts. It also marked the seventh win in the last eight games for the Celtics, who now sit just 4.5 games out of first place in the East with a record of 30-25. Six of those seven wins came while holding their opponent under 100 points. The Celtics have posted a first-quarter defensive rating of 78.4 over their last eight games. Four of those matchups have resulted in blowout wins of at least 29 points.

“Before the season I think that the way our team was structured, we had a defensive group,” Brown said. “We had a lot of guys who made names for themselves on the defensive side of the basketball, and I think this is what we imagined when we all started.”

Tatum is leading the NBA in points scored this season while also being third in the NBA in total points scored during fourth quarters. Marcus Smart is ranked second in the NBA in steals per game and is third in the league in total steals.

Since Dec. 31, Boston’s point differential (+204) is nearly double that of the next-closest East team (Philadelphia, +112).

Why Bet on Brooklyn?

There is increasing chatter that the Nets could trade James Harden to the 76ers by Thursday’s dealing for a package built around Ben Simmons and Seth Curry even though Coach Steve Nash said Sunday that the Nets weren’t trading Harden.

“I’ve talked to James, he wants to be here and he wants to be here long term as well,” Nash told reporters. “We’re building with James and we think we have the best chance to win with James. So I don’t think anything’s changed on the inside in our locker room, in our communication. It’s just all the noise from the outside.”

Harden has connections in Philadelphia even beyond team president Daryl Morey, who built the Rockets around him. Harden is friendly with 76ers CEO Tad Brown (formerly the Rockets’ CEO) and co-owner Michael Rubin (CEO of Fanatics), and close pals with Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill. Harden and business manager Lorenzo McCloud are reportedly seeking out an agent to help the 10-time All-Star consider his long-term options with the franchise. The 2018 NBA MVP sought the counsel of agents Jason Ranne and Chafie Fields of Wasserman when he wanted to force a trade from the Houston Rockets in 2020-21.

Harden has missed the past two games with a hamstring injury and is questionable for this one. Fellow stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant are out. Irving can’t play in New York City because he’s not vaccinated for COVID and Durant is out a few more weeks injured.

The Nets lost their eighth in a row Sunday, 124-104 in Denver. Blake Griffin hit 7-of-12 shots in a spot-start and finished with 19 points. Griffin got the start with both Nicolas Claxton (hamstring) and LaMarcus Aldridge (ankle) missing. They are also both in question Tuesday. The Nets have used 27 different starting fives this season, with 16 Nets drawing at least one start.

Brooklyn is 8-0 this season when holding its opponent under 100 points. The Nets have won a franchise record 25 straight games when holding their opponent under 100 points. Brooklyn is also 11-1 when holding its opponent under .400 FG % this season. The Nets are 19-3 this season when holding their opponent under 110 points. Finally, they are 11-1 when scoring 120+ points and 12-2 when shooting .500+ FG %.