Boston tipped off their New Year in Denver losing to the West-leading Nuggets who had a firm grasp on the match from the tip. It’s reminiscent of the Celtics’ last road trip West when they compiled a 4-2 record but showed weaknesses that weren’t visible to that point in the season. With that let’s dive into the odds, injuries, and game details. Scroll down for our Thunder – Celtics Prediction and Game DetailsOKC Thunder vs Celtics Odds, Spread, Over/UnderWith the best record in the association, it was expected the Celtics would be the favorites.
The OKC Thunder are 1-7 straight-up in their last 8 games played in January. The total has gone under in 9 of OKC’s last 13 games. The OKC Thunder are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games played on a Tuesday. The total has gone under in 10 of Boston’s last 12 games on the road. The total has gone over in 4 of OKC’s last 5 games against Boston. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. Injury ReportFrom the most recent official NBA injury report update:Aleksej Pokusevsk (left tibial plateau – non-displaced fracture), Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (ankle), and Ousmane Dieng (fractured wrist) are all out.
9 PPG. Brown is right there with him, shooting 50% from the field and 34% from three while scoring 27. 1 PPG. As the highest-scoring duo in the NBA, they make Boston impossible to defend. Tatum in particular will likely be motivated to improve upon his earlier-season numbers, especially given his performance on Sunday. Despite finishing with 25 points, he shot just 7-16 from the field. The NBA’s fourth-leading scorer should have his way with a poor OKC defense – putting Boston in a great position to cover despite a hefty spread. Why The Thunder Could Cover The SpreadWhile the Thunder have played poorly across their last few games, they have a great chance to cover tonight as a major home underdog.
Oklahoma City has lost three of their last four games to drop them to 13th place in the Western Conference. The Thunder have covered 58% of their games while 56% have gone over. This will be the second and final meeting between the two teams this season. Boston took the first one at home, 126-122. Here are the Celtics-Thunder NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuelNBA Odds: Celtics-Thunder OddsBoston Celtics: -9 (-108)Oklahoma City Thunder: +9 (-112)Over: 233 (-110)Under: 233 (-110)*Watch Celtics and Thunder games LIVE with fuboTV (Click for free trial)*Why The Celtics Could Cover The SpreadBoston has a great chance to cover a hefty road spread thanks first and foremost to their potent offense.
Chet Holmgren (foot – Lisfranc fracture) is shut down for the season. Eugene Omoruyi and Lindy Waters III are on G League assignmentAs for Boston, the big news is Robert Williams III (knee/rest) may not play with the team considering sitting him for injury management. Mfiondu Kabengele and JD Davison are on G League assignmentFormer OKC Thunder forward Danilo Gallinari suffered a torn ACL in the offseason and therefore is out for this season.
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OKC Thunder vs. Celtics predictionAs the OKC Thunder continue to restructure their roster and build for the future the Celtics serve as an example. They drafted both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown nurturing their growth and development. There were growing pains along the way with some critics suggesting the J’s didn’t fit or couldn’t work together but the young stars are reveling in the team’s success while the front office is looking brilliant for exercising patience. The matchup between OKC Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jaylen Brown offers the most intrigue since there is a strong possibility they spend time guarding each other.
The Celtics rank first in the NBA in scoring (118. 6 PPG) and offensive rating (117. 2). Coming into tonight, they’ve scored 111+ points in six consecutive games. On the other side, Oklahoma City has a poor defense which Boston has already shown the ability to score points on. The Celtics dropped 126 on the Thunder in their previous match despite an uncharacteristically-poor shooting night (27% from three compared to their 37% average). Oklahoma City allows the sixth-most points per game (116.
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Oklahoma City has been a home underdog 13 times this season and has covered in eight of those games. They’ll likely be able to do this thanks to their solid offense. The Thunder rank 11th in the league in scoring (115. 2 PPG) and play at the second-highest pace in the league (104. 1 possessions per game). They’ve already shown the ability to keep things tight against the Celtics as they lost by just four points and were up by as many as 15 points in the third quarter. Guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was a man-possessed in their previous matchup with Boston and he’ll likely need a similar performance tonight if they want to cover against the league’s top team. SGA scored 37 points in the Thunder loss, shooting 13-26 from the field and dished out eight assists.
SGA will be the main focus of the Celtics’ defensive attention and it’s likely reigning DPoY Marcus Smart will also draw time on the Thunder guard. The last time Boston ventured West their few weaknesses were exposed but they quickly fixed those once back home. They’ve begun this trip with the loss in Denver but don’t read too much into one loss especially when it was against the team with a great shot of winning the conference. While I’d love to see the OKC Thunder rise to the challenge, having to face Boston a game after a loss is never ideal although I do believe they can keep the score closer than nine points.
Boston boasts the best offense in the league so the fact that the spread is just 9. 0 points and not double-digits speaks to the respect the OKC Thunder are garnering. The over/under is set at 235. 5 points and the moneyline places the Thunder at plus +335 and the Celtics at minus -350. Some other betting notables:The OKC Thunder are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games at home. The Celtics are 4-1 straight-up in their last 5 games. The OKC Thunder are 0-5 straight-up in their last 5 games when hosting Boston. The Celtics are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games against OKC. The OKC Thunder are 4-8 straight-up in their last 12 games. The Celtics are 9-2 straight-up in their last 11 games against OKC.
Game Tonight: OKC Thunder vs Celtics odds, game details, predictions, for January 3rdOKC Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives to the basket against Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36): Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports The first game of 2023 for the OKC Thunder features the top team in the NBA — the Boston Celtics. It was a bittersweet ending to 2022 when the Thunder got routed by the 76ers without James Harden or Tyrese Maxey in the lineup.
NBA Odds: Celtics Vs. Thunder Prediction, Pick And How To Watch - 1/3/2023The Boston Celtics (26-11) visit the Oklahoma City Thunder (15-21) on Tuesday night. Action tips off at 8:10 p. m. ET. Below we continue our NBA odds series with a Celtics-Thunder prediction and pick. Despite losing to open up the New Year, Boston has won four of their last five games and remains in first place in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics have covered the spread in 57% of their games while 51% have gone over the projected point total.
8) and has given up at least 114 points in six of their last seven games. Despite a shaky shooting night from star Jayson Tatum in their previous meeting, the Celtic forward still put together a strong stat line of 27 points and 10 rebounds. Jaylen Brown also struggled from beyond the arc in that game as the two combined to go 1-14 from three. Nevertheless, Boston was able to take care of business with a four-point win and would have covered with ease had they made a few more jumpers. It’s unlucky those two are going to repeat their poor performance as they’ve been incredibly efficient all season. Tatum shoots 47% from the field and 35% from three en route to his 30.
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Boston Celtics at Oklahoma City Thunder: Match Prediction
Celtics vs. Thunder: Free live stream, TV, how to watch