Nets vs. Celtics picks, best bets & player props

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The Brooklyn Nets (31-19) have proven to be no match for the Boston Celtics (36-15) in two games this season played at the Barclays Center. The Nets come to TD Garden to face the Celtics well-versed in the knowledge that few teams have proven to be a match for the Celtics on their home court.

Boston’s 125-121 overtime victory on Saturday brought a halt to the second three-game losing streak of the season by the Celtics, as well as to Boston’s one-game home-court losing skid.

The New York Knicks beat the Celtics 120-117 on Jan. 26, also in overtime. It was the first home loss for Boston since falling to the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 21. The Celtics are 8-1 straight up over the club’s last nine home games and oddsmakers are anticipating that roll will continue. Boston is set as an 8-point home favorite over the visiting Nets.

Neither Boston (26-25) or Brooklyn (25-24-1) would classify as impressive against the spread squads this season. The Celtics are 13-12 ATS at home and as a home favorite. As an underdog, the Nets are 10-6 ATS and as an away underdog, their 9-3 ATS slate is displaying an NBA-leading 75% coverage success rate.

Brooklyn is 5-1 ATS in the last six games, but the Nets are 0-5 ATS in the past five games facing the Celtics. The over has hit on the total in five of Brooklyn’s last six games at Boston. Boston is 0-6 ATS in the last six games and 3-6 on the over/under through the past nine games.

Some key players will be absent on both sides of this Wednesday battle. Already without PG Marcus Smart (ankle), the Celtics are listing center Robert Williams III (knee) as questionable.

The Nets are missing PF Kevin Durant (knee) and PG Ben Simmons (knee). SF T.J. Warren (lower leg) is also out, while SF Yuta Watanabe (back tightness) is probable.

Already this season, Boston has won and covered twice against the Nets at Brooklyn. The Celtics were 103-92 victors on Dec. 4 as 2.5-point road favorites. They were the 1-point away chalk on Jan. 12 when they won 109-98.

Durant played the first of those two games for the Nets, scoring 31 points. However, the Celtics were missing guard Jaylen Brown in that first game.

Overall, the Celtics are 9-0 SU and 7-1-1 ATS in the past nine games against the Nets. Brooklyn is 0-3 SU and 1-1-1 ATS in the club’s last three visits to TD Garden.

Pick: Boston Celtics -8 (-110).

Is Boston’s Jayson Tatum poised to triple his double-double total against the Nets this season? Well, it just so happens that there’s a prop bet on that specific outcome.

In Boston’s Dec. 4 victory, Tatum accounted for 29 points and 11 rebounds. As the Celtics beat the Nets on Jan. 12, the Boston forward and NBA MVP contender was good for 20 points, while pulling down 11 boards.

This season, Tatum is fourth in the NBA in scoring, averaging 31.1 points per game. He’s also cleaning the glass effectively, gathering 8.7 rebounds per game. Play Tatum to record the double-double at odds of +349.

Former Celtics guard Kyrie Irving will be back at TD Garden again and is sure to get the standard Boston welcome. What he’s unlikely to do is cover the over for his point total prop.

Oddsmakers are setting Irving at 30.5 points. A six-game run of scoring at least 30 points came to an end for him in Irving’s last game. The Lakers held him to 26 points.

In two games against Boston this season, Irving has accounted for 18 and 24 points. In three of his past four games at TD Garden, Irving has been held under 20 points. Play Irving under 30.5 points at a betting line of -125.

Building a Brooklyn vs. Boston same-game parlay, we’ll start out by taking the Celtics in the moneyline at odds of -345.

Next, take under on the total of 11.5 rebounds for Nets center Nic Claxton and the betting line of -123. He’s gone over that total for boards in just one of his past 19 road games.

Finally, go with the under on the total of 226.5 points at odds of -110. Both Nets vs. Celtics games have gone under this season.

This three-leg same-game parlay combines to offer odds of +370. A $10 wager on this parlay, if successful, delivers a $47 return.

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