Grizzlies vs Celtics best bets & picks for player props (mass live)

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There’s a big NBA game on tap Sunday afternoon at TD Garden. Okay, so maybe it isn’t the biggest game of the day - we’ll give that acknowledgment to Super Bowl 57 between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles - but it is a game pitting the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Celtics (40-16, 30-26 ATS) playing host to the current #2 squad in the Western Conference, the Memphis Grizzlies (34-21, 26-27-2 ATS). And that’s a pretty big deal in its own right.

Oddsmakers are setting the Celtics as 4-point home favorites. Boston has dominated the head-to-head results between these two NBA powers. The Celtics have won three in a row from the Grizzlies and 13 of the last 14 games. Memphis has lost eight in a row at Boston. The last win for the Grizzlies at TD Garden was a 100-93 decision on Nov. 27, 2013.

Both teams will be without key performers when taking the floor for this Sunday afternoon tilt. Boston is missing shooting guard Jaylen Brown. Averaging 26.5 points per game, a facial injury is putting Brown on the sideline.

Point guard Marcus Smart (ankle) is also out, as is power forward Danilo Gallinari (knee). PG Malcolm Brogdon (Achilles) is probable to play.

For Memphis, center Steven Adams is out 3-5 weeks due to a PCL sprain in his right knee. He’s leading the Grizzlies in rebounding, grabbing 11.5 boards per game.

Both the Celtics and Grizzlies look to be righting their ships following blips in their respective schedules. The Celtics are 3-0 straight up and against the spread over their past three games. Prior to that stretch, the Celtics were 2-4 SU and 1-15 ATS.

Memphis is 2-0 SU and ATS in the last two games. Before that, the Grizzlies had gone 1-8 SU and 2-7 ATS. However, the news is not all good in terms of a Memphis recovery. The Grizzlies are winless in their last six road games and 1-5 ATS over that span.

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As a road underdog this season, Memphis is an NBA-worst 1-6 ATS, a dismal 14.3% cover rate. Boston, though, is just 16-13 ATS as a home favorite. That’s a 55.2% coverage percentage.

During that 13-1 run of success against Memphis, Boston is 10-4 ATS. The Celtics are 4-1 ATS over their last five games and 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings with Southwest Conference opposition.

Pick: Boston Celtics -4 (-110).

Boston sports fans grew accustomed over two decades to viewing the Super Bowl as the New England Patriots invitational. That’s no longer the case, but it doesn’t mean Boston supporters can’t find a method to add a local flavor to a Super Bowl bet.

Online sportsbooks are offering cross-sport props on the big game and several of them are built around this Grizzlies vs. Celtics contest. Here’s a couple of those cross-sport props that we really like.

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One prop is pitting the total points scored in Super Bowl 57 against Boston’s Jayson Tatum’s combined points, assists and rebounds vs. Memphis. The total for the Super Bowl is set at 51 points, but the over looks to be the play between the NFL’s #1 (Kansas City) and #3 (Philadelphia) scoring offenses.

That being the case, Tatum hasn’t gone over 51 in combined points, rebounds and assist in his last six games. Take Super Bowl total points is this betting market at a line of +185.

As good as Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is at catching the football, Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant is even more efficient when it comes to passing the basketball. Over his last 11 games, Morant has recorded at least seven assists in every one of those games. In five of the games, Morant has reached double digits in apples.

By contrast, even though he led all NFL TE with 110 catches this season, Kelce has only been able to garner 6+ catches over each of his last six games. He’s managed double digits on two occasions.

Bet Morant assists vs. Boston to outnumber Kelce Super Bowl receptions at odds of -235.

For an easy to play same game parlay, start by betting the -4 spread on the favored Celtics at odds of -110. Next, also take Boston with a win margin of 1-10 points. That betting line is +170.

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Add the two together for +244 odds. Bet $10 on this same game parlay and a win would lead to a payout of $24.45.

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