Celtics vs. Warriors Best Bets and Bold Predictions

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The Celtics have won five games in a row heading into their first meeting of the year with the Warriors, though the top team in the Eastern Conference has lost its last three on the road.

Golden State, traditionally one of the best teams in the league at defending home court, is just 6–6 at the Chase Center so far this season and accordingly is an underdog against Boston, its 2022 NBA Finals opponent.

The Warriors (12–14) and Celtics (20–5) split their two regular-season matchups a season ago as the home team won each time. Chris Paul (illness) and Kristaps Porzingis (calf) are both questionable and Draymond Green is out due to his indefinite suspension.

Boston Celtics vs. Golden State Warriors Odds

Spread: Celtics -5.5 (-110) | Warriors +5.5 (-110)

Moneyline: BOS (-222) | GSW (+175)

Total: 223.5 — Over (-110) | Under (-118)

Game Info: Tuesday, Dec. 19 | 10 p.m. ET | TNT

*All Odds via SI Sportsbook*

Best Bet: Celtics -5.5 (-110)

Bold Prediction: Stephen Curry Records a Double-Double

Boston just blew through a five-game homestand against some of the top teams in the East. Most recently, Jayson Tatum and Co. beat the Magic 128–111 on Friday and 114–97 again on Sunday behind a pair of three-point barrages. The Celtics are tied with the Mavericks for the most made threes per game (15.8) in the league and they connected on 18 and 17 shots from beyond the arc, respectively, in these double-digit wins over Orlando.

Golden State is in the midst of its first winning streak since early November. Stephen Curry’s 37 points led the way in a 124–120 win against Brooklyn and Klay Thompson stepped up to score a team-high 28 points in a 118–114 victory over Portland as Curry finished with seven, a season-low. The Warriors are in the bottom half of the league in both offensive and defensive rating — Curry is the only player averaging better than 17 points per game and the defense is not the same without Green.

Neither Boston nor Golden State performs well against the spread in this scenario — the former is a league-worst 2–7–2 on the road and the latter is a similarly dismal 3–9 at home. Green’s absence is especially punishing against the Celtics given their length on the wings with Tatum and Brown and the inside presence that Porzingis adds. That’s enough to pick the Celtics to pull off a rare cover on the road and win their sixth straight, but Curry is sure to show up in such a big contest and stuff the stat sheet.

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