Two of the NBA’s best go at it on Wednesday when the Boston Celtics visit the Phoenix Suns. Both sides had a little hiccup but still closed the week leading their respective conference. The Celtics had their five-game winning streak snapped by Miami losing for only the second time in 16 games. They enter the week with the best record in the Association. The Suns saw their six-game streak end at the hands of the Houston Rockets, who rallied from 16 points down to earn the upset as a 11.5-point dog. The teams have split the last four games with each winning and covering on its home floor.
The contest between the Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns takes place at 10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, December 7, 2022, from Footprint Center in Phoenix and will air live on ESPN. BookMaker.eu will have odds for every game on the Wednesday NBA schedule.
NBA Opening Lines at BookMaker.eu
Odds Analysis
It’s too early in the season but the way things have gone this could be a NBA Finals preview. Both teams would welcome that since they are the two most recent runners-up. The Suns fell to the Bucks in six games in 2021 while the Celtics were downed in six games by the Warriors last season. Following a 4-3 start the Celtics used a nine-game winning streak to seize the top spot in the East, and they haven’t cooled off. They won five more in a row after the initial streak was busted only to get upended by Miami as a 7.5-point favorite in the second game of a back-to-back. Boston has been a healthy bet going 10-2 ATS in 12 games before falling to the Heat.
Not only are the clubs the best in their conference they’ve been among the best bets all season. The Celtics were on a heater until losing to Miami and the Suns have payouts in 14 of their first 23 games. Both clubs have cashed out in more than 59 percent of their contests. The Suns ended a string of six home games in a span of seven overall with a humbling 122-121 loss to West bottom feeder Houston, a game that saw them favored by 11.5-points. It was just the second home setback of the season for Phoenix moving them to 12-2 SU and 9-5 ATS.
Boston Celtics
It was a slow start for the defending East champs but they put things together after losing twice to Cleveland in a span of three games earlier in the campaign. The second loss dropped them to 4-3 SU and 3-4 ATS. With the help of Jayson Tatum the Celtics started a run that’s taken them to the top of East standings. Tatum scored 36 points playing 40 minutes in a 123-119 win over the Bulls starting their nine-game winning streak.
And offense has been the theme so far. With Tatum putting up MVP-type numbers the Celtics lead the NBA averaging 121.6 points and shooting 40.4 percent from behind the arc. Tatum is one of a handful of players averaging more than 30 points and he’s getting plenty of support. Jaylen Brown scores more than 26 points per game and four others average double-figures. During a recent three-game stretch the Celtics scored at least 130 points in each and cashed the OVER in four straight.
Phoenix Suns
The Suns trot out their own MVP candidate in Devin Booker, who’s been on a massive roll lately. Booker was having a good season scoring his typical 20-plus points per night with the occasional outburst. During his first 19 games he scored more than 35 points once, dropping 49 on Utah on Nov. 18. He led the Suns on a scoring binge recently with 44 against Sacramento, 51 against Chicago and 41 versus Houston. He’s been the go-to guy with Chris Paul still out of the lineup helping the Suns average 116 points.
At one time not long ago both clubs relied on defense to win games. They both still play a gritty game on that end of the floor, but with so many weapons to score the basketball why not do that. And both have been really good sacrificing a little bit. Phoenix ranks among the top-10 in points allowed, but we’ll see how committed they are to playing defense with this being their third game in four days after stops in San Antonio and Dallas
NBA Odds Pick
The schedule might not favor the Suns but most of their regulars got a breather in the first game of their three-in-four stretch thanks to a thumping of the Spurs. No starter played more than 27 minutes and Booker had just 20 points, but the win is what counts. Phoenix has been dominant at home and that loss to Houston will make them focus more against the NBA’s best.
NBA Odds Prediction: Phoenix Suns / OVER
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