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The stars will be out at Chase Center on Tuesday when Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics (20-5) go one-on-one with Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors (12-14) in an NBA on TNT matchup at 10 p.m. ET.
The Celtics head into tonight's tilt as one of the NBA's hottest teams, having gone 8-1 SU in their last nine games while winning the most recent five in a row. The Warriors have momentum too, though, having notched back-to-back victories over the Brooklyn Nets and Portland Trail Blazers.
Bovada sees both teams as being in the championship hunt this season. The Celtics are currently the sportsbook's +375 favorites to win the 2023-24 NBA Finals while the Warriors are available at +3300 odds (T-10th).
Tonight's Celtics vs Warriors clash is ripe with betting opportunities, so let's not waste more time. Keep scrolling to read all about my Boston-Golden State predictions and the best bets you can make.
Celtics vs Warriors NBA on TNT Tonight (Dec. 19)
Celtics vs Warriors Matchup Information
Matchup: Boston Celtics (20-5, 6-5 Away) vs. Golden State Warriors (12-14, 6-6 Home)
Venue & Location: Chase Center (San Francisco, CA)
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Celtics vs Warriors Betting Trends
Boston is 5-0 straight up in its last five games.
Golden State is 4-1 straight up in its last five games vs. Boston.
Boston is 0-5 ATS in its last five road games.
Golden State is 9-4 ATS in its last 13 games vs. the Eastern Conference.
The total hit the Under in 10 of Boston's last 11 road games vs. Golden State.
The total hit the Over in four of Golden State's last five games.
Celtics vs Warriors Prediction & Pick (Dec. 19)
No Draymond Green? No problem for the Warriors, who've won back-to-back games for the first time since the beginning of November. Golden State now gets to return to Chase Center, where they've won five consecutive games by a 5.0-point average.
Having said that, none of those victories came against a team on the Celtics' level. Boston is currently tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the best record in the NBA. Joe Mazzulla's team has found this success due to solid play on both sides of the floor, ranking fifth and fourth in offensive and defensive efficiency, respectively.
The Celtics do most of their offensive damage from the perimeter, where they average 47.3 points off three-pointers per game (T-1st). While the Warriors rank fourth-best in that regard, Boston is also slightly more accurate from downtown (37.2%, 12th) than Golden State (37.1%, 15th).
While both sides' perimeter defense isn't that special, it's worth noting that the Warriors' last three opponents shot 39.1% from the three-point line.
Can the Celtics outgun the Warriors from the three-point line tonight?
The Celtics also haven't lost a game since being eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in the NBA In-Season Tournament quarterfinals. Boston has gone 5-0 SU (4-1 ATS) over the last five games, outscoring those opponents by an average of 12.0 points.
Unsurprisingly, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have led the charge during the Celtics' winning streak, averaging 26.0 and 22.6 PPG, respectively. Kristaps Porzingis also averaged 18.8 points and 7.3 rebounds during those contests, however, the Latvian big man is questionable for tonight's game with a calf injury.
Kristaps Porzingis (left calf strain management) is listed as questionable for tomorrow's game at Golden State. Yesterday, Porzingis said he and the staff "just started talking about" whether he would play on both legs of the back-to-back.
As far as the Warriors' injuries go, Chris Paul will be a game-time decision due to an undisclosed illness. The veteran point guard's tenure with Golden State has been underwhelming thus far as he averages 7.4 assists and a career-low 8.5 points through 23 games.
At the end of the day, I pick the Celtics to win tonight. Boston is one of the league's best teams and the title favorite for a reason. The Celtics will get the better of the Warriors on both ends of the floor, especially if the home team can't figure out a way to tighten up its three-point defense.
For the best bet, let's go with the Under on the 233.5-point total. After all, the Under is 5-0 in the last five Celtics-Warriors matchups that featured an average of 212.8 points, finishing with 233 or fewer in all but one of those contests. Furthermore, the Under is also 10-1 during the last 11 meetings between these sides where Golden State was the home team.
Celtics vs Warriors Prediction: BOS wins
Best Celtics vs Warriors Bet: u233.5 Total Points (-110)
The four-time NBA All-Star is having a solid year in the paint, but he's "only" averaging 8.7 rebounds per game. He's finished with the Under on this prop 15 times in 25 outings thus far (60.0%), which includes missing the mark in seven of his last 10 appearances.
Furthermore, the Under is 7-3 in Tatum's last 10 games against the Warriors, who allow the 12th-fewest rebounds this season. In other words, it's best to play it safe by taking the Under on this prop.
Best Celtics vs Warriors Prop Bet: Jayson Tatum u9.5 Total Rebounds (-130)
Devon is a Master of Journalism graduate who joined the sports betting world in 2020. His favorite leagues to cover are the NHL, NBA and NFL, and has a soft spot for fantasy football specifically. Outside of sports, he enjoys the finer things in life like pasta, live music and getting even more tattoos.
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