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The No. 7 seed Brooklyn Nets (0-3) try to prevent a sweep when they host the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics (3-0) Monday at Barclays Center. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET and airs on TNT. Below, we look at the Celtics vs. Nets Game 4 odds and lines, and make our expert NBA picks, predictions and bets.
Boston took Game 4 109-103 thanks to an awesome game by Celtics wing Jayson Tatum and duds by Nets leaders PF Kevin Durant and PG Kyrie Irving.
Tatum scored a game-high 39 points with 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 6 steals while KD and Kyrie each scored 16 points and Irving went 0-for-7 from 3-point range.
Game 4 went Under the 223-point total by 11 points despite both teams shooting around 50.0% from the field because Celtics-Nets played at a snail’s pace.
Celtics at Nets odds and lines
- Money line (ML): Celtics +100 (bet $100 to win $100) | Nets -120 (bet $120 to win $100)
- Against the spread: Celtics +1.5 (-110) | Nets -1.5 (-110)
- Over/Under: 220.5 (O: -108 | U: -112)
Celtics at Nets key injuries
Celtics
- None
Nets
- PG Ben Simmons (reconditioning) out
Celtics at Nets picks and predictions
Prediction
Celtics 111, Nets 107
Money line
LEAN CELTICS (+100) because I prefer to take whatever points I can get with Boston’s spread. The Celtics had more continuity entering the series but there was always a feeling that the KD and Kyrie combo would be too good to lose in the first round.
However, Boston wings Jaylen Brown and Tatum are outplaying them and the Celtics are winning the battle of possessions in this series. Boston has better turnover and rebounding rates than Brooklyn, which tells us the Celtics are playing with more focus and effort. The “eye test” confirms this as well.
Boston’s ML has also been steamed up from plus-money to the current price by sharp line movement. The “wiseguys” understand that Brooklyn’s only case for winning this game is “KD and Kyrie won’t get swept”. That’s not rooted in any basketball logic though.