Boston Celtics vs Brooklyn Nets prediction and betting tips | Nov. 13, 2024
On Wednesday night, the 2023-24 NBA champion Boston Celtics will visit New York to face the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center. This promises to be a fascinating matchup between the No. 2 Celtics and the No. 6 Nets in the Eastern Conference.
Led by All-Stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, the Celtics are off to a strong start. Joe Mazzulla's team has set the pace in the East and currently sits second in the Eastern Conference standings with a 9-3 record. It has an impressive 6-1 record away from the TD Garden. It only lost to the Indiana Pacers in overtime this season, 135–132.
After winning their 18th NBA title last season, breaking the tie against the Lakers for most titles in NBA history, the Celtics are early season favorites to repeat the feat in 2025.
The Nets have surprised a few with strong performances to start the 2024-25 campaign. After losing top-tier talent like Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Mikel Bridges over the last 20 months, the organization was expected to rebuild the roster this season and gradually develop a young group.
The Nets have a 5-6 record and are sixth in the East, just half a game behind the Orlando Magic, New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers.
The backcourt duo of Dennis Schroder and Cam Thomas have led the way for Jordi Fernandez's team. The two guards have combined for 44.0 points and 9.3 assists per game. Schroder ranks first while Thomas is second in minutes per game.
Boston Celtics vs Brooklyn Nets Warriors preview, betting tips, odds, and prediction
The Brooklyn Nets will host the Boston Celtics at the Barclays Center on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. EST. The game can be watched on YES and NBCS-Boston. Fans looking to stream the game can catch it on NBA League Pass or fuboTV (regional restrictions may apply).
Moneyline: Celtics (-380) Nets (+290)
Spread: Celtics (-8.5) Nets (+8.5)
Total (Over/Under): Over 217.5 (-105), under 217.5 (-115)
Note: All odds are subject to change closer to tip off. The listed odds were based on information at the time of writing.
Boston Celtics vs Brooklyn Nets preview
The Celtics come into Wednesday's encounter off a 117–116 defeat to the Atlanta Hawks. Despite the loss, they remain one of the hottest teams in the league and have lost just twice in November.
A dynamic offense has been a key factor for the Celtics. Boston ranks second in the East in points per game with an impressive 119.8, and only the Cavaliers (122.4) are averaging more. Mazzulla's offense gets points from various players, with five players averaging 12.0 ppg or more. Tatam leads the roster with 30.5 ppg, followed by Brown who is recording 24.0 ppg.
The Nets beat the New Orleans Pelicans to secure a vital 107–105 victory. However, Brooklyn has struggled to find any consistency over the course of the season and is yet to secure a three-game win streak over 11 games.
The Nets are 5-6 on the season and have a 5-5 record in their last 10 games. Fernández's team is built on a strong defense, and the young roster holds opposing teams to 111.6 points per game.
Cam Thomas has been the standout player for the Nets so far. The shooting guard is averaging 24.5 ppg, 3.1 apg and 3.4 rpg.
The two teams have already faced off once this season, with the Celtics edging the contest on Nov. 8 in a slender 108–104 overtime win.
Boston Celtics vs Brooklyn Nets betting tips
The Boston Celtics will again look to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to put up big numbers. Tatum's over/under is listed at 26.5, which is relatively low considering he averaged 30.5 ppg this season. Taking the over on the five-time All-Star seems like the smart move.
Thomas has been outstanding over the last few weeks for a Brooklyn Nets offense desperate for someone to step up. Thomas' production dropped in the last two games, but he remains a dangerous scoring threat. The last time these two teams met, Thomas recorded a whopping 31 points. His over/under for Wednesday's matchup is 23.5, so fans may want to take the over.
Boston Celtics vs Brooklyn Nets prediction
Despite unexpected losses to the Warriors and Hawks over the last week, the Celtics remain the team to beat in the East. Tuesday's loss to the Hawks will only have motivated the team to bounce back in this matchup. The Celtics should win this game easily, but expect a defensively sound Nets team to cover the 8.5-point spread.