The Brooklyn Nets super team that formed before last season is doomed to become a case of what could have been if they don’t start to get some luck with the injury bug. Already missing Kevin Durant and Joe Harris, the Nets, who have lost eight straight, head into a matchup with the Boston Celtics with James Harden and LaMarcus Aldridge listed as day-to-day with hamstring and ankle injuries, respectively.
Brooklyn, which is 29-24 overall, has had a hard time winning at home, compiling a 12-13 record at Barclays Center.
Celtics at Nets Stats
Looking at the Boston stats
The Celtics have collected three straight wins on the road and have been playing better basketball recently. Boston is 7-3 over its last 10 games and has been scoring 110.3 points per game and shooting 46.4 percent from the field during that stretch. Jayson Tatum leads the Celtics by averaging 25.6 points per game, while Marcus Smart leads Boston by handing out 5.4 assists per contest.
Boston has been winning thanks to its excellent defense. The Celtics limit their opponents to 43.3 percent shooting from the field, which ranks second in the NBA. Boston also limits its opponents to 104 points per game, which ranks fourth, and 34.1 percent shooting for the perimeter, which is the eighth-best percentage.
Looking at the Brooklyn stats
Kyrie Irving did everything he could for Brooklyn during its loss to Denver the other night, scoring a team-high 27 points in a 124-104 loss. However, the Nets have lacked the depth to keep up with opponents when playing without Durant and Harden, as they did in their loss to the Nuggets. Patty Mills has provided Irving with relief on the outside, shooting 44.2 percent from the 3-point line over his past 10 games.
Brooklyn is 6-1 against Atlantic Division opponents. The Nets rank fifth in the Eastern Conference by averaging 111.3 points per game. Brooklyn, which has been plagued by injuries, is 2-8 over its last 10 games and has been allowing opponents to score 117.8 points per game.
Betting Trends for Boston at Brooklyn
- Boston is 27-27-1 against the spread.
- Brooklyn is 20-32-1 against the spread.
- The over is 22-32-1 in the Celtics’ games this season.
- The over is 24-28-1 in the Nets’ games this season.
- Boston’s last three games have gone under the total.
Who to Bet Celtics at Nets
Top sportsbooks have Boston as a 5.5-point favorite, while the Celtics are -225 on the moneyline. The Celtics seem to have found the missing pieces in their game since losing to the Atlanta Hawks Jan. 28 in a game that saw the Celtics fall to 25-25.
Boston responded by winning five straight including the first two games of a road swing before heading to New York City. Expect the Celtics to be the latest team to take advantage of a wounded Brooklyn. Boston will cover the 5.5-point spread to continue to put distance between themselves and the playoffs as the end of the season draws near.
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