NBA Pick: Warriors +6 (-110) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
One of the most anticipated games of the 2022-23 NBA regular season is Thursday as the Golden State Warriors visit the Boston Celtics in a rematch of the 2022 Finals. Which side of the 6-point spread is the best value at the top US sports betting sites? We also have a total play.
Golden State Warriors vs. Boston Celtics
Thursday, January 19, 2023 – 07:30 PM EST at TD Garden
What You Should Know
When the NBA schedule was released this summer, this Warriors-at-Celtics matchup and rematch of the 2022 NBA Finals certainly was circled as among the Top 10 most anticipated games. TNT has the telecast.
Of course, Golden State won the Finals in six games, clinching on Thursday, June 16, 2022, at TD Garden with a 103-90 victory behind Finals MVP Steph Curry and his 34 points. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 34 points, but Jayson Tatum finished with just 13, shooting 6 of 18 from the field. Boston also committed 22 turnovers.
The Dubs eye the regular-season sweep as well because they were 2.5-point home underdogs on the NBA odds on Dec. 10 and beat visiting Boston 123-107. Curry had 32 points, seven assists, and six rebounds, and Klay Thompson had 34 points.
Golden State played without All-Star Andrew Wiggins. Jordan Poole had 20 points starting in his place. Brown had 31 points and nine rebounds for Boston, but Tatum was only 6-for-21 for 18 points. The Celtics were without two starting big men in Al Horford and Robert Williams. Both are healthy now.
Golden State is 4-0 against the spread in the past four meetings.
Warriors Will Have Klay Thompson
Golden State is still an atrocious 5-17 on the road, tied for the second-fewest away wins in the league, but might be turning the corner and shaking off that championship hangover. The Warriors are 2-1 on their current five-game trip and off a 127-118 win at Washington on Monday. Steph Curry had 41 points and Jordan Poole had 32. It was only the second time ever that both Curry and Poole had at least 30 points in the same game.
Curry is averaging 25.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in 31.8 minutes per game in the past four since returning after an 11-game absence due to a shoulder injury. His 41-point game was his 30th of at least 40 since turning 30, tied with Kobe Bryant for the most all-time. Michael Jordan leads with 44.
Klay Thompson didn’t play Monday because it was the second of a back-to-back and doesn’t play both ends (note that the Warriors are in Cleveland on Friday - hammer the Cavs as soon as you can as that will be a huge letdown game for Golden State) but will play in this one. Thompson looks so much healthier this season than last, averaging 20.9 ppg. He is averaging 30.7 points per game in the last seven games he has played in and has made 41 three-pointers in that span.
Thanks in large part to Curry and Thompson, Golden State has made at least 15 three-pointers in nine straight games, the longest such streak in franchise history. The previous mark was seven in a row in the 2020-21 season. The Celtics are middle of the pack against the three-pointer, allowing opponents to shoot 35.7%.
Golden State is a little thin in the frontcourt with the likes of Andre Iguodala, JaMychal Green, former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman, and Jonathan Kuminga all out injured. The Warriors are 1-4 ATS on the NBA picks in their past five vs. teams with a winning record.
Celtics May Have Jaylen Brown
The big news for Boston is the potential return of All-Star Jaylen Brown from right abductor tightness.
He has missed the past three games but went through a full practice Wednesday and his status for Thursday night is TBD, per head coach Joe Mazzulla. If the C’s were playing, say, Sacramento then Brown perhaps sits one more game but there’s almost no chance he misses this one: "If I can go, I'm goin'." He’s averaging 27.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.
I like to say I get every game right from a handicapping perspective, but I was wrong on Boston for Monday’s game in Charlotte. Felt like a bit of a trap game for the Celtics playing there for a second time in three days and with this matchup up next. Yet the Celtics covered the 8-point spread in a 130-118 victory, their seventh straight win.
Team's All-Time Leader
Jayson Tatum boosted his MVP candidacy with a season-high 51 points. He scored 31 of his 51 in the second half, with 18 coming in the fourth quarter. In doing so, he became the Celtics’ all-time leader in regular-season 50-point games with five, breaking a tie with Larry Bird.
Tatum shot 14-for-14 from the free-throw line for the most made free throws without a miss in his regular-season career. He became only the third player in league history to have multiple 50-point games while shooting 100% from the free-throw line in them, joining Kobe Bryant and Kyrie Irving.
Other than Brown, the Celtics are healthy. Guard Derrick White was iffy for Monday with a neck problem (another reason I took Charlotte and the points) but played and had 19 points and eight assists. He will be checking both Curry and Thompson plenty in this one. White has the most blocks among all Eastern Conference guards with 41.
Final Picks
If this comes down to free throws, know this: Boston has shot at least 95% from the free-throw line in a league-leading seven games this season. That's more games than its previous three seasons combined.
The Celtics are 4-0 ATS in their past four and this will be very personal for them. They will win but 6 points is a lot to give – especially if Brown doesn’t play.
I do think it will be fairly high-scoring, something like 120-115, but this total is monstrously high.
For Golden State residents looking to bet on this game, you can check out our top California betting sites.
NBA Pick: Warriors +6 (-110) at BetOnline
NBA Pick: Under 238.5 (-108) at Heritage Sports (visit our Heritage Sports Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
