Boston Celtics vs Denver Nuggets betting tips and predictions for Friday’s NBA game on NBA TV. One win streak is bound to be over tonight as the Nuggets take on the Celtics with both sides winning their last 4 games. Read on for all our free predictions and betting tips.
Boston Celtics
At 4-1 at TD Garden, the Celtics are one of the best home teams in the NBA this season and they are looking to maintain their lead atop of the Atlantic Division with another win here. The duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 61 points in the 16-point win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday. However, the win came at a cost as Malcolm Brogdon injured his hamstring which has ruled him out of tonight’s game.
His defense will be dearly missed against the Nuggets who are very strong on the wings. Boston has beaten Denver in 7 of the last 10 meetings, they’ve also covered the spread in 6 of those games. Entering tonight’s game they are 4.5-point favorites, and it’s pretty clear why – they’ve beaten Denver in 10 of the last 12 at TD Garden.
Denver Nuggets
Denver has put together a 4-game winning streak of their own, but I’d argue it is not as impressive as Boston’s. Although 3 of the 4 games were on the road, they beat Oklahoma City, San Antonio (twice) and Indiana, none of those teams is expected to be in the playoff hunt this season. Nevertheless, at 8-3 they are 4th in the West and need a couple more wins to catch up with the division leaders Jazz. Nikola Jokic was brilliant once again vs the Pacers with 24 points, but it was a team effort that got the job done with all 5 starters scoring at least 10 points.
Bones Hyland also chipped in with 16 off the bench, a similar effort will be required tonight if they want to win at Boston. The last time they did that was way back in the 2018-19 season, so history is definitely not on the Nuggets side in this one.
As the season progresses the Celtics are playing better and better. Although the defense isn’t on the level from last season, they are still a superior team overall than the Nuggets. I’m taking the Cs to continue their win streak at home tonight.
Boston Celtics vs Denver Nuggets Predictions & Odds
Both teams have been scoring at a high level lately, so it’s no surprise that the projected total is at 231.5 points here. However, I am not sure the over is the right way to go here, simply because of the recent head-to-head meetings where the two teams have gone under that number in the last 9 meetings. Just 213.6 points per game were averaged during that stretch, and I’m having a hard time ignoring that trend.
Boston’s games vs West coast opponents have also trended towards the under with 5 of the last 6 cashing on that bet. These are the two best ranked teams in terms of offensive efficiency, but with the Celtics playing at home they will be the ones dictating the tempo here. They rank 21st in pace of play this season averaging just 100.6 possessions per game, that’s a clear indicator in which direction tonight’s game will go. I’m taking the under here.
