It is without question a possible NBA Finals preview as the Oklahoma City Thunder host the Boston Celtics on Thursday night (9:30 pm ET on Amazon Prime). The defending champion Thunder once again find themselves atop the Western Conference; the Celtics are currently second in the East behind Detroit but have their sights set on the No. 1 seed.
Let’s dive into my Celtics vs. Thunder prediction.
Boston Celtics vs. Oklahoma City Thunder odds
Money line: Celtics +210 / Thunder -255
Spread: Celtics +6.5 (-106) / Thunder -6.5 (-114)
Total: Over 215.5 (-112) / Under 215.5 (-108)
Boston Celtics vs. Oklahoma City Thunder best bet: Celtics +6.5 (-106)
You have to like pretty much everything about the Celtics right now. They are 14-4 in their last 18 games and Jayson Tatum is back from his Achilles’ injury. Tatum is questionable for Thursday (potential load management), so it is worth proceeding with caution until his status is confirmed. Still, one would think that Tatum will play — probably 25 to 30 minutes — in a showdown between two of the best teams in the association.
Tatum has played in three games since returning and is averaging 19.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. Boston lost at San Antonio on Tuesday, but it began this current road trip with a win at Cleveland. This team is playing great, and Jaylen Brown will surely come out blazing tonight following his recent controversial ejection.
The Thunder are also playing well enough, but they aren’t exactly beating opponents in convincing fashion. In its last 15 games, OKC has won by double-digits just three times. Jalen Williams and Isaiah Hartenstein are out, so it’s hard to see Oklahoma City suddenly beating arguably the best team in the East by a big margin.
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