The Boston Celtics pay a visit to the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Paycom Center on Thursday night. Here’s a Thunder vs. Celtics prediction. This article will include a Thunder vs. Celtics pick.
Boston Celtics Betting Preview
The Boston Celtics have been on a tear as they’ve reeled off 14 wins from their past 18 games, but they will be looking to bounce back in this one after having their two-game win streak halted by the Spurs in a 125-116 road defeat on Tuesday. Derrick White led the team with 34 points and seven assists on 11 of 22 shooting, Jayson Tatum added 24 points, and Ron Harper Jr. chipped in with 22 points on eight of 11 shooting off the bench. As a team, the Celtics shot 47 percent from the field and 19 of 51 from the 3-point line as they battled the Spurs in a close contest all the way until the fourth quarter, where the Spurs used a 12-0 run to slip away in the end. Jaylen Brown had a quiet game of just eight points in 15 minutes of action before he got ejected early, while Neemias scored just five points.
Oklahoma City Thunder Betting Preview
Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder have been in red-hot form, as they’ve won nine of their last 10 games overall and they will be gunning for a seventh straight victory after outlasting the Nuggets in a 129-126 win on Monday. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the team with 35 points, nine rebounds and 15 assists on 14 of 21 shooting; Jaylin Williams added 29 points with 12 rebounds and three assists, while Ajay Mitchell chipped in with 24 points on nine of 16 shooting. As a team, the Thunder shot 51 percent from the field and 19 of 47 from the 3-point line. They got off to a sloppy start and allowed 40 points in the first quarter to fall behind early, but they played great defense to get back into the contest but the game looked like it was headed for overtime before Gilgeous-Alexander drained the game-winning 3-pointer with just 3.3 seconds left on the clock.
Why the Oklahoma City Thunder will win
- The Thunder have won each of their last 11 games at Paycom Center following a home win.
- The Celtics have lost each of their last four games against Northwest Division opponents that held a winning record.
- The Thunder have covered the spread in nine of their last 10 games against Celtics teams that held a winning record.
- The Celtics have failed to cover the spread in each of their last four games at Paycom Center.
Why the Boston Celtics will win
- The Celtics have won 15 of their last 16 games against Western Conference opponents following a loss.
- The Thunder have lost two of their last three games as home favorites against Eastern Conference opponents following a win.
- The underdogs have covered the spread in each of the Thunder’s last nine games.
- The Thunder have failed to cover the spread in each of their last six games.
Total Points Facts
- Each of the last eight night games between the Celtics and Thunder has gone OVER the total points line.
- Six of the Celtics’ last seven games as underdogs have gone UNDER the total points line.
Oklahoma City Thunder Player Facts
- Cason Wallace ranks 1st amongst qualified players for steals per game (2.0) this season.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the only player in the league to have recorded 15+ assists without a turnover in a game this season.
Boston Celtics Player Facts
- Neemias Queta ranks 1st in the Eastern Conference amongst qualified players for FG% (63.6%) this season.
- Jaylen Brown ranks 2nd in the Eastern Conference amongst qualified players for points per game (28.3) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Thunder rank 1st in the league for point differential per game this season (+10.9).
- The Thunder rank 1st in the league for opponent field goal percentage this season (43.6%).
- The Celtics rank 1st in the league for opponent points per game this season (107.2).
- The Celtics rank 1st in the league for opponent steals per game this season (6.0).
Thunder vs Celtics Prediction
The Celtics expect to have Payton Pritchard back in action, but they are keeping an eye on Derrick White and Jayson Tatum, who are both questionable, while the Thunder are still missing Isaiah Hartenstein and Jalen Williams. The Celtics have looked dangerous since Tatum rejoined the starting lineup and they were on a nice run before they got stopped by the streaking Spurs on Tuesday, but they could be missing two key players in Tatum and White, which would really make things tough for them against the elite defense of the Thunder. The line for this game may change by the time tipoff comes round, but as of today, I prefer a play on the Thunder to get the win and cover at home.