The Brooklyn Nets take on their Atlantic division rivals, the Boston Celtics in Boston on Wednesday night. When these two Eastern Conference contenders face-off, who is the right NBA pick? Let’s see the NBA odds.
Wednesday, November 24, 2021- 7:30 PM EST ESPN at TD Garden
The Brooklyn Nets have won four of their last five. Their lone loss was a high-profile defeat against the Golden State Warriors at home. They were soundly defeated. The Nets have beaten up on weaker teams since then, although they have not been covering the spread. Now the Nets head to Boston to take on a team that has a similar hot streak going.
The Nets are led by Kevin Durant. Durant leads the team in points and rebounds. James Harden leads the team in assists. Harden is consistently improving his conditioning and becoming a more effective scorer as the season ensues. The return of LaMarcus Aldridge has been a pleasant surprise for the Nets as well as he is averaging 13 points in just 21 minutes per game. Patty Mills has taken up some of the slack by the absence of Kyrie Irving and is averaging 12 points per game.
Joe Harris started the season in a terrible shooting slump but his shooting form has returned. Harris is once again a threat from behind the arc. With three max players under contract, the Nets are a top-heavy team and can struggle during minutes when their reserves are on the floor.
The Nets have an interesting dilemma in what to do with their social activist star Kyrie Irving. The Nets are missing him desperately as the salary that he is using up could be used to bolster the bench and supporting cast. The Nets would probably be well served to deal Irving for usable assets; but with his eccentric nature and lack of commitment to the sport of basketball, the trade waters have been thin. The Nets hope that Irving makes a choice to become vaccinated and he can rejoin the team before the playoffs start.
The Boston Celtics are led by a strong forward duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Brown has recently returned from an injury and had a minutes limit in the last game, a 108-90 victory over the Houston Rockets at home on Monday. Like the Nets, the Celtics have won four of their last five, with their lone defeat being a loss in Atlanta last Wednesday.
After a slow start, the Celtics are coming together and are now 10-8. The Celtics are 5-3 at home and take on a Nets team that is 7-2 on the road. It should be a great game as a good home team and a good road team faces off.
The Celtics went into the season knowing they would get all-star level play from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The most exciting development for the Celtics this season has to be the development of Robert Williams, who is averaging 9 points, 9 rebounds, and almost two blocks per game. The Celtics have had problems being beaten in the frontcourt the last couple of seasons, so the development of Williams gives Celtics fans hope that this team could be a true contender.
More frontcourt help was acquired in the offseason with the reacquisition of Al Horford. Horford is a smart basketball player and a versatile defender who adds a lot to this team. Horford left two seasons ago, but as the old saying goes sometimes you never know what you have until it’s gone. The Celtics didn’t know what they had in Horford and now they are happy to have him back.
Kevin Durant vs. Jayson Tatum
Kevin Durant is considered to be the best small forward in the league and Jayson Tatum is trying to take that title. They will both be doing their best to one-up each other and will probably draw each other as defensive assignments for the end of the game.
With the game outcome on the line, we could be in store for a brilliant shooting duel between two of the NBA’s best shot-makers. If Durant is able to get the best of Tatum, the Nets will probably win the game. If Tatum has another one of his explosive performances, the Celtics have a great chance of getting a home victory.
I like Boston to continue their hot streak at home. Tatum and KD will have a great duel but Boston has the stronger supporting cast. Boston has an opportunity to instill some hope in their fanbase with a high-profile win on a holiday weekend. My best bet for today is the Boston Celtics.
NBA Pick: Boston Celtics PK (-110) with BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
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