The Celtics will play their second game in as many days when they visit the Nets on Wednesday night.
You could have argued that this is a potential letdown spot for the Celtics after their In-Season Tournament home opener against the Hawks, but Boston lost in a stunner Tuesday.
When you look at net rating, the Nets rank right in the middle of the league, with a -0.5 value.
They also play at the second-slowest pace, averaging 96.7 possessions per game.
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nets | +9 (-112) | +295 | o217.5 (-112) |
| Celtics | -9 (-108) | -370 | u217.5 (-108) |
With fewer possessions, it’s more difficult for opposing teams with better offenses to build significant leads against the Nets.
The Nets also do a tremendous job defending the perimeter, ranking fourth in 3-point attempts allowed (33.3) and second in opponent 3-point field goals (11.4) entering Tuesday.
Boston is known to be aggressive from beyond the arc. It attempts almost six more 3-pointers than any other team in the league, while ranking first in made 3-pointers (18.5) before Tuesday’s game.
Boston attempted 53 3-pointers in an earlier meeting but made only 26.4% (14-of-53) of those shots.
The Celtics emerged with a 108-104 home victory in overtime, relying on 33 points from Jason Tatum to combat 31 from Cam Thomas.
Boston’s Jaylen Brown missed that game, while Payton Pritchard helped pick up the slack with 20 points. Three other Celtics tallied double-digit points.
Given their defensive quality on the perimeter, the Nets might be better suited than most teams to keep the Celtics at bay when the teams play inside Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
THE PLAY: Nets +9 (-112, FanDuel)
Michael Arinze handicaps most major sports for the New York Post. He’s cashed two 15-leg teasers in his betting career as well as a 12-leg parlay that included eight Little League World Series games. More recently, he accurately picked finalists in the 2024 European Championships and Copa America.