If the first game is any indication the first round NBA playoff matchup between the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics is going to be a doozy. The Celtics continued their epic run from the regular season when they won 26 of their final 32 games to clinch the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. They beat the Nets twice during that season ending spurt and their dramatic 115-114 victory in Game 1 extended their winning streak to four over their division rival. Game 2 of the series is slated for Wednesday night with the Nets looking to even things up.
The NBA Playoff game between the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics will air live on TNT with tip off at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, April 20, 2022 from TD Garden in Boston. BookMaker.eu will have betting options for every game on the NBA schedule.
NBA Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Brooklyn Nets +3.5 ( +139 )
Boston Celtics -3.5 ( -155 )
Total 228.5
Odds Analysis
Though the Nets dropped the series opener they should feel good about their chances. They scored 114 points on the best defense in the NBA with Kevin Durant shooting just 9 of 24 from the field. And they had some time at the end of the season with full roster that will help with continuity. They had their five-game winning streak stopped that included a home win over Cleveland in the play-in tournament. Oddsmakers apparently caught on listing Brooklyn as a 3.5-point dog in Game 2 after they covered the 4.5-point closing line on Sunday. It was just their third payout in the last 10 games. The Nets dropped the first three games of their current four-game slide to the Cs by an average of 21.3 points and the teams cashed the OVER in the last five meetings and in eight of the past nine.
We mentioned Boston’s closing run to jump to second in the East. Clearly they are playing great basketball, but the top teams in the conference are all about the same record-wise. The Celtics went 26-6 since January and they were on a tear at the betting window, too, going 21-11 ATS. Things amp up in the playoffs, just ask Kyrie Irving about that. But Boston weathered the storm despite allowing 10 points above their season average. While they’ve been strong defensively, we’ve also seen plenty of offense with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart combing for 74 points in Game 1. The Celtics cashed the OVER in 10 of their final 12 regular season games and the OVER is 5-0 in the last five games between the clubs in Boston.
Brooklyn Nets
The Nets were so close to stealing Game 1 they probably feel they blew a big opportunity to get the upperhand. With KD struggling to make shots, the Nets turned to Irving for offense. And the former Celtic nearly provided the necessary punch. Perhaps motivated by a return to Boston or maybe because it’s the playoffs, Irving was spectacular scoring 39 points on 12 of 20 shooting, including 6 of 10 from three-point range.
It’s obvious the Nets need Durant in order to win. Even with KD missing 15 of his 24 attempts the Nets shot nearly 54 percent as a team. The hot shooting is unlikely to continue against the NBA’s top defense so getting KD to drop a higher percentage is a must.
Boston Celtics
The Celtics certainly don’t lack confidence heading into the postseason. And they turned to their superstar to eke out a Game 1 win. Tatum scored a buzzer-beating layup giving him 31 points as Boston escaped. They won the final three regular season games by an average of more than 20 points, but faced a Nets team in disarray due to injuries, roster turnover and COVID mandates. Now they have a good idea of what their opponent looks like making this series even more entertaining.
There were some concerns about Boston’s defense with Robert Williams III sidelined. And while the C’s allowed 114 points on 54 percent shooting much of the damage was from the perimeter. Boston did a nice job in the paint limiting Durant’s drives to the rim with Al Horford coming up big. Not only was he a beast on D, Horford chipped in 20 points and 15 boards while playing over 41 minutes.
Nets at Celtics NBA Odds Pick
The crazy thing about Game 1 is that both teams can play better. Boston was stingy all season with the best scoring and field goal percentage defense, yet they had a tough time stopping the Nets on Sunday. And Durant, one of the best scorers in the game, was limited. With KD hitting more shots I can see Brooklyn getting even with a Game 2 victory.
NBA Odds Prediction: Brooklyn Nets +3.5 / UNDER 228.5
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