The Denver Nuggets aim to win their fourth game in a row when they travel to Beantown to face the Boston Celtics. The Nuggets won their last two games by a combined three points to edge the Mavs and Pacers and pushed their season road record to 16-16 SU in 32 games. They’ll be facing a Celtics squad that is 17-5 SU in its last 22 home games and has won five of its last six after singing kumbaya.
The Celtics opened as 3.5-point faves with a total of 221.5.
STANDOUT STATS
- In 12 games since the all-star break, the Celtics are 4-7-1 ATS, and 1-4 ATS in five home games. In that span, the Celtics are shooting 32.9 percent from behind the arc (ranked 26th) on 32.9 attempts per game (ranked 15th). Their defense has also suffered by allowing teams to shoot 47.3 percent from the field (rated 24th).
- The Nuggets are 6-14 ATS in their last 20 road games. They average five fewer points scored per game on the road compared to home games this season and shoot a woeful 42 percent from the field in road games to rank 29th.
- Nuggets road games have a penchant for going UNDER as the totals have hit below what was expected in 20 of their 32 road games. The UNDER has also hit in their last five road games with an average combined score of 218.6.
- Boston’s defense at home has been legit all season, allowing only 105.8 points per game (ranked fifth) and holding teams to 43.6 percent shooting (ranked third) on 87.9 attempts (rated ninth) and 33.9 percent shooting from behind the arc (rated seventh) on 33.6 attempts (rated 26th).
My Best Bet for Nuggets vs Celtics
Celtics -3.5 and the UNDER 221.5
Another Celtics game, another game where a tough decision has to be made. The Celts are one of the most maddening teams in the NBA to wager on because you don’t know if you’re getting the talented team that was pegged to win the East or the one that is at each other’s throats.
I’m going with the former because I think the Nuggets’ offense doesn’t travel and will be hard pressed to score based on the performance stats above. That’s why I also like the UNDER because the Nuggets play at a slower pace than most teams (rated 23rd in pace) and I think this game will be close with the Celtics emerging victorious.
