A Brooklyn Nets team that can win with defense just as easily as it can win with offense is a scary thought for teams in the NBA Playoffs. That nightmare may be a reality after the Nets locked down the Boston Celtics for a 104-93 win in the opener of their Eastern quarterfinal series.
Brooklyn is a 9.5-point NBA betting favorite for Game 2 Tuesday — bigger than the eight points it spotted the Celtics in Game 1. Boston did a valiant job defending the Nets but need to complement that effort with some sort of offense.
Here are our free NBA picks and predictions for Celtics vs. Nets Game 2 on May 25.
Celtics vs Nets game info
• Location: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
• Date: Tuesday, May 25, 2021
• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
• TV: TNT
Celtics vs Nets odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
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NBA Sharp Money and Line Movement Report
By Patrick EversonBrooklyn opened as low as -9 for Game 2 and early play bumped this spread to -9.5 but it came back down to the opening spread. According to FanDuel sportsbooks, 56 percent of bets are on the Nets with 63 percent of the money also riding on the home side. The total opened at 227 and has bounced between 227.5 and 226.5, depending on the book. About 63 percent of total wagers are on the Over for Game 2.
Check out the full line movement for this gameCeltics vs Nets series odds
Celtics: +1,120
Nets: -3,000
Celtics vs Nets betting preview
Injuries
Celtics: Jaylen Brown G (Out).
Nets: None to report.
Find our latest NBA injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Over is 7-3 in Nets’ last 10 games as home favorites. Find more NBA betting trends for Celtics vs. Nets.
Against the spread (ATS) pick
It was a disjointed offensive effort from the Nets in Game 1, with the team shooting just 42 percent from the field, including an 8-for-34 finish from beyond the 3-point line. Brooklyn recorded only 18 total assists on its 35 makes — a sharp dip for a team that averaged almost 27 assists per game and ranked seventh in assisted field goals on the season.
James Harden played a part in that poor shooting performance, going 5 for 13 overall with a 2-for-8 day from distance, but Harden is such a great player he made up for those shortcomings in other ways. He went 9 for 10 from the foul line and dished out eight assists while coughing up the ball only three times in more than 36 minutes of floor time.
Most of those struggles were contained to the first half and Brooklyn started to gel in the final 24 minutes. Head coach Steve Nash was able to tinker with his lineup and find some cohesion, not just on offense but also defending. Brooklyn checked the Celtics to 32.5 percent shooting the final two quarters and forced eight turnovers in the second half, winning the final two frames 57-40.
Brooklyn played a far-from-perfect game and still covered as 8-point home chalk. With playoff nerves/adrenaline calmed for Game 2, expect a much more efficient effort from the Nets.
PREDICTION: Brooklyn -9.5 (-110)
Over/Under pick
Regardless of how bad Brooklyn shoots, 93 points isn’t going to be enough to win Game 2, let alone cover the 9.5-point spread.
The Celtics hang their hat on defense but have capable scorers in Jayson Tatum, Kemba Walker, Marcus Smart and Evan Fournier. The sum of those parts can come close to matching the output of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Harden (who scored 82 of the Nets points Saturday) and as that trio re-learns how to play with each other, Boston’s need for more scoring is climbing by the minute.
The Game 1 total closed at 233 and we’ve seen the Game 2 Over/Under hit the board at 226.5 points — a near seven-point slide. That really feels like a knee-jerk reaction to the opening result which saw BK’s great offense play bad and ho-hum defense play well.
Brooklyn and Boston have stayed below the total in all four of their meetings this season but Saturday’s wonky result was the only one that featured the Nets’ Big 3. For what it’s worth, Brooklyn played in 30 games with sub-230 totals this season and has gone 20-10 Over/Under in those matchups.
PREDICTION: Over 226.5 (-110)
Player prop pick
Nets veteran forward Blake Griffin nearly laid a goose egg in Game 1, scoring one lonely point and failing to attempt a field goal (1 for 2 FT) in just under 20 minutes of action.
Griffin started for Brooklyn, the first time Nash rolled out Griffin and Joe Harris alongside the Big 3, and the results weren’t great: The Nets managed only 16 first-quarter points on 6-of-23 shooting. Griffin played for just under eight minutes in the second half and was pretty much invisible in that limited time.
Boston is one of the best teams at defending around the hoop and does a solid job limiting rebounds and second-chance looks. Brooklyn has far better offensive options than Griffin shooting low-efficiency shots around the key, so don’t expect an offensive resurgence from the 10-year vet in Game 2.
PREDICTION: Blake Griffin points Under 8.5 (-122)
Celtics vs Nets betting card
- Brooklyn -9.5 (-110)
- Over 226.5 (-110)
- Blake Griffin points Under 8.5 (-122)
Picks made on 5/24/2021 at 11:53 a.m. ET
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