Brooklyn Nets vs. Boston Celtics odds & best bet

Nets All-Star Kevin Durant is back. He scored 31 points in his return but the Nets still lost to the Heat on Thursday night. Meanwhile, Ben Simmons has yet to play for his new team and Kyrie Irving's status is still always in flux. I don't doubt that the Nets can be a very good team, the question is when is that going to be? This game on Sunday does not feel like a turning point to me.

The calendar flipping from February to March has done nothing to slow down Boston. Boston just posted an impressive win over Memphis in last time out. The Celtics not only won by 13 points but did so without second leading scorer Jaylen Brown in the lineup. He is questionable again for this game, as is Aaron Nesmith, who took his place in the lineup against Memphis. The acquisition of versatile Derrick White looks even better now as they navigate Brown's absence. 

The season series is 2-1 in favor of Boston. In all 3 games the road team has won and covered, and in none of them has the outcome been close. 

Game Info

Brooklyn Nets (32-32) vs. Boston Celtics (38-27)
Sunday, March 6, 2022
1:00 PM ET
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
ABC

Betting Odds

Spread: Nets +3.5 (-110), Celtics -3.5 (-110)
Total: 227
Moneyline: Nets +125, Celtics -175

Best Bet

Boston -3.5

About the only thing wrong with Boston right now is that Brown is out. Since the beginning of the year (2022, not the season), the Celtics have been awesome. They have become the league's best defensive team and that is a great place to start when it comes to winning with consistency.

I am not saying Tatum is as good as Durant but their games are pretty similar. They are multilevel scorers who can post big numbers, both on their own and within a team concept. If this is a game where those two can essentially cancel each other out than Boston should have an easy time of it on Sunday.

I am not sure what Boston's rules are regarding Irving's ability to play in the game but in Marcus Smart, and White, they have two players who can force him to really work for his offense. That is the key because he never stops shooting (or scoring), you just want to make sure he is not getting easy looks. 

Boston has been getting more up front from the combination of Al Horford and Robert Williams. The duo offers good rim protection and rebounding but they can chip in 15-20 points a night too. Horford is a streaky shooter and if he is on Boston is really tough to beat because he does not take bad shots. 

Look for Boston to end the pattern of the home team losing in this season series on Sunday.