Boston Celtics vs. San Antonio Spurs Betting Preview
Where: AT&T Center – San Antonio, TX
When: Thursday, December 14, 2016, 9:30 PM ET
Line: Boston Celtics (+8) at San Antonio Spurs (-8); total: 201.5 – view all NBA lines
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Betting on the Boston Celtics (+8)
It hasn’t been a good season for the Celtics, who are now 13-11. They will enter Thursday losers of back-to-back, with the most recent being in the hands of the Thunder, 99-96. Russell Westbrook had an easy night shooting the ball, as he went 14-for-26 (53.8 percent) for 36 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists.
Currently, no team averages from the Cs are appealing. Their total points, rebounds, steals, blocks, field goals made, and field goal percentage are on the bottom half of the rankings. Assisting is their commendable stat, as they are third, with 24.8 per game.
The struggles may be credited to Al Horford, Isaiah Thomas, and Jae Crowder missing time on separate occasions, but it seems that the team is also feeling some pressure now that they are projected to be strong contenders in the East.
With Thomas, their the all-star point guard, still questionable, head coach Brad Stevens will look to have Horford facilitate on both ends of the floor once again. The veteran is doing a lot for the Cs, posting averages of 15.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 2.4 blocks per game.
That said, guys like Crowder (13.2 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.5 APG) and Avery Bradley (17.9 PPG, 7.5 RPG. 2.5 APG), arguably the best rebounding two-guard in the league, should also do some damage.
The Celtics are 8-6 SU (10-4 ATS) on the road this season.
Betting on the San Antonio Spurs (-8)
Coach Pop and his men pounded on the Nets this past Saturday, 130-101. The scoring was quite balanced, as six Spurs reached double digits, while also shooting 53 percent from the field and handing out 38 assists.
On the road, the Spurs are an impeccable 13-1 on the season. The problem, though, is they will be at home for the upcoming game, where they are only 6-4 SU and 3-7 ATS. When was the last time we saw a team that was better on the road, right?
Regardless of the venue, expect Kawhi Leonard (24.7 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 3.0 APG) and LaMarcus Aldridge (16.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG) to continue leading the charge. Leonard will have to be better, as he is only shooting 42-percent at home this season.
Heading into the matchup, the Spurs will be boasting their top eight-rated offense and defense. They are pouring in a decent 103.5 PPG (19th in the league), but only allow opponents to score 97.8 PPG (fourth in the league).
Don’t be worried about their low ranking in points. The Spurs have shown they can score whenever they want to, and have exceeded the 104.2 PPG league average 11 times this season.
Writer’s Prediction
The Spurs (-8) win, but doesn’t cover the spread, 113-108.
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