- The Boston Celtics are -125 favorites to win the play-in game against the Washington Wizards.
- The Wizards are 1.5-point underdogs and come back at +105 on the moneyline.
BOSTON – The Boston Celtics will host the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night in a play-in game where the winner will be the No. 7 seed in the NBA Playoffs.
The Celtics enter the game having lost 10 of their last 15 games while the Wizards have won 15 of their previous 20 games.
Here’s everything you need to know about the game.
What’s On The Line
The NBA introduced a new play-in tournament at the beginning of the season which gives a couple of extra teams a chance to make the playoffs. In this matchup, the winner will be guaranteed the No. 7 seed in the NBA Playoffs and will face the Brooklyn Nets in a best-of-seven series.
The loser will face the winner of the Hornets and Pacers game for the No. 8 seed and a series against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Betting Odds
Sports betting sites predict a close game as the Celtics are 1.5-point favorites and -125 on the moneyline. The Wizards are +105 as underdogs. The total is set at 234.5 points, essentially projecting a 118-117 finish in favor of Boston.
Celtics vs. Wizards Betting Odds
- Moneyline: BOS -125, WAS +105
- Spread: BOS -1.5
- Total: O/U 234.5
Let’s Start With The Total
As is the case in any Wizards game, the possibility of this game being a shootout is on the table. The past two Washington games both finished with a total of 225, but their previous seven games all eclipsed 234.5 points. The average total from the Wizards’ last nine games is 252.2 points, well clear of the total for this game.
The Celtics offense has been struggling recently which is likely the reason that online sportsbooks set the total relatively low for Washington’s standards, but maybe not low enough.
Four of the Celtics’ last nine games have gone Over 234.5 and have an average total of 233.2 points per game.
Advertising Disclosure
USAOnlineSportsbooks.com provides you with the most current information regarding sports betting and fantasy with the help of commissions we receive from links you may click on our site.
The Wizards allow a league-worst 118.5 points per game and score 116.6 points per game, only behind the Bucks and Nets. Further, Robert Williams may miss the game for the Celtics and would leave a big hole on the defensive side of the ball. Despite only playing 18.9 minutes per game, he’s tied for sixth in blocks per game.
This is the playoffs and players are likely to actually start trying on defense, but this total still seems a bit low considering the teams and how they match up against each other.
Pick: Over 234.5 (-110)
How About The Spread?
Boston hasn’t been too good since Jaylen Brown had his season-ending injury. In the seven games he missed to end the season, the Celtics have only beaten the Orlando Magic and Minnesota Timberwolves, two teams among the top-three worst records in the NBA.
The Wizards have been good, even in their losses. In their last 20 games, Washington has five losses by a combined 10 points. Betting on the Celtics to cover any spread given their form seems a bit risky, especially against a team that’s playing as well as the Wizards are.
NBA bettors siding with the Wizards may be more inclined to bet the moneyline, given the narrow spread and option for more favorable odds.
Pick: Washington Wizards +1.5 (-110)
Nick got involved with the world of sports at a young age and never turned his back on it. He graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Broadcast/Journalism. In his free time, you can catch him at the bottom of the leaderboards on any video game he’s playing.
