Boston Celtics vs. Washington Wizards Odds, Analysis, NBA Betting Pick
Two division leaders will clash in Washington on Thursday when the Wizards (31-23) host the Boston Celtics (39-16). Washington won the lone meeting between the teams this season on Christmas Day, pulling off a 111-103 upset at Boston as a four-point road underdog.
Point spread: The Celtics opened as one-point favorites; the total is at 206, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)
NBA betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 112.6-102.6, Wizards (NBA picks on every game)
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Why the Celtics can cover the spread
Before that home loss to the Wizards, the Celtics had won two of the previous three meetings straight up, going 3-0 against the spread, according to the OddsShark NBA Database.
Boston has also won four of its last five games both SU and ATS, though the team's four-game winning streak came to an end Tuesday with a 111-91 road loss to the Toronto Raptors as a five-point underdog. That was the second-biggest loss of the season for the Celtics, who will be poised to bounce back with a better effort here.
Why the Wizards can cover the spread
Much like Boston, Washington had a solid winning streak snapped Tuesday, falling 115-102 to the Philadelphia 76ers as six-point road dogs. The Wizards had won five in a row SU and ATS before that despite playing without injured point guard John Wall (knee), including two upsets as home underdogs.
While they are just 10-16 ATS at Capital One Arena, they are also 17-9 SU and would not have to win by much in order to cover a small number in this spot.
Smart betting pick
The Celtics obviously did not play well at Toronto, with Kyle Lowry getting the best of Kyrie Irving in the battle of point guards. But at Washington, Irving will rebound by taking advantage of Wall's absence with a huge performance and prove how valuable he is in a key positional mismatch.
Look for Boston to flex its muscles as the East's best team and cover the spread for the fourth time in five meetings with a small road victory.
NBA betting trends
Boston is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games.
The total has gone under in four of Boston's last six games.
Washington is 5-1 ATS in its last six games.
All NBA odds and betting trends courtesy of Bleacher Report’s official odds partner, OddsShark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line-movement updates and the OddsShark YouTube page for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.
