The Boston Celtics are running out of time to catch the Toronto Raptors for the top seed in the Western Conference. They will need to be almost perfect down the stretch, and that begin this week in a home game against the Washington Wizards.
Both teams are among the top seeds in the Eastern Conference but Boston is clearly the more talented team and has the home court advantage. Washington will be getting points on the NBA betting spread as the underdog.
The Celtics would love to avoid a meeting with the Cavaliers in the second round of the playoffs. If Cleveland keeps the No. 3 seed Boston would need to move up to the top spot. The only way that happens is by catching fire down the stretch and hoping the Raptors stumble.
Don't miss the hardwood action from the TD Garden at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 14, 2018. Catch every moment of the game live on ESPN.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Wednesday schedule.
Odds Analysis
The Wizards are 38-29 straight up and 32-34-1 against the spread. Washington has done a nice job on the road this season, covering in 20 of 34 attempts. The Wizards have also been good as the underdog this season with a 16-9 record against the spread.
The Celtics are 46-20 straight up and 40-24-2 against the spread. Boston is 17-15-2 against the spread at home this year. Boston is 27-22-2 against the spread as the favorite.
Scheduling Situation
The Wizards will be facing a tough back-to-back pairing in this stretch. Washington will play at home on Tuesday night against a talented Timberwolves team. That game figures to go down to the wire, which would not allow any of the Wizards’ best players to get a decent amount of rest.
After the game, the team will have to quickly take off for Boston in preparation for this matchup the next day. The All-Star break is gone and the season has been a long one to this point. It’s fair to wonder if the quick turnaround and two cities in two days will affect the Wizards’ play in this one.
They would have been the underdogs regardless, but if Washington’s legs are weary it could lead to some poor outside shooting, which would make it more likely the Celtics cover the NBA basketball point spreads.
Injury Report
Celtics star point guard Kyrie Irving didn’t play against the Bulls on March 5 because of a sore knee but the move was primarily precautionary. He returned in a road game against the Timberwolves and had a nice showing , registering 23 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.
Irving should play in this one, which is a huge boost to Boston. He is averaging 24.7 points, 5.2 assists and 3.8 rebounds per contest. Irving is shooting 49.1 percent from the floor and 40.8 percent from three-point range. He orchestrated a trade out of Cleveland this offseason, which many questioned.
However, it has worked out for Irving, as he has become the go-to guy for a Celtics team which has looked better than the Cavs all season.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Wizards are a good team but not on the level of the Celtics. Boston is the easy choice to win this game. The harder part is determining which team will cover the spread in NBA basketball betting lines. Look to see where the oddsmakers peg this one, but the Celtics must be considered.
They should be able to pull away in the second half to earn a victory that doesn’t come down to the wire. The scoring total will be something else to watch. Washington scores at a pretty prolific clip but the Celtics are one of the best defensive teams in the NBA.
NBA Odds: Celtics 109, Wizards 100
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